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.

Phillies vs. Reds

The Phillies fell to the Reds 4-3 in their series finale Wednesday afternoon. Philadelphia took a 3-0 lead in the 4th inning thanks to a three-run home run by Dane Sardinha.  The Phillies bats were quiet for the remainder of the game, only recording three hits after the the 4th. The Reds began to chip away scoring a run on a Joey Votto homer in the 6th and again on a RBI single by Orlando Cabrera in the 7th. The final blow came in the bottom of the 8th. Leading 3-2, Roy Halladay gave up a two-run shot to right field.

Halladay pitched a  complete game, but took the loss, his 7th of the season. He pitched 8 innings, giving up four runs on 13 hits. Reds starter, Aaron Harang, got a no decision, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits. Reliever Arthur Rhodes got the win for Cincinnati. Francisco Cordero recorded his 21st save of the season.

Check out Phillies Phandom for more.

Marlins vs. Mets

Following a rain delay, the Mets salvaged the final game of their series with the Marlins, winning 6-5. A double by David Wright and a single by Ike Davis gave the Mets a 3-0 lead in the 1st. The Marlins bounced back quickly scoring two runs in the bottom of the 1st on singles by Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla. New York extended their lead to 4-2 in the 2nd on an RBI single by Jesus Feliciano. Florida tied up the ballgame in the 5th with a double by Jorge Cantu and a single by Uggla.  The Mets scored a run in the 6th and 7th innings, giving them a 6-4 lead. The Marlins cut the lead to 6-5  in the 8th on an RBI double by Gaby Sanchez.

Chris Volstad pitched 5 innings, but got a no decision. He gave up four runs on six hits. Mike Pelfrey lasted 4.2 innings to get a no decision as well. He allowed four runs on 12 hits. Elmer Dessens got the win for the Mets, while Alejandro Sanabia took the loss. Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 18th save of the season for the Mets.

For more, check out Fish Guts and Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves won the series against the Nationals, winning the final game by a score of 4-1. The Braves jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a RBI double by Brian McCann in the 1st. Atlanta scored two more runs in the 4th on a single by Jair Jurrjens and a sacrifice fly by Martin Prado. Washington got on the board in the 6th when Ivan Rodriguez grounded into a double play allowing Ryan Zimmerman to score. Atlanta scored again in the 7th after Washington pitching walked in a run.

Jurrjens got the win, pitching 5 innings and giving up one run on six hits. J.D. Martin took the loss, going 5 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Billy Wagner recorded his 16th save of the season for the Braves.

For more info, go to Braves  Baseball and Centerfield Gate.

Nationals vs. Tigers

The Nationals fell to the Tigers 8-3 Wednesday night. Washington jumped out to an early lead with home runs by Adam Dunn in the 1st inning and Roger Bernadina in the 2nd.  Detroit responded in the bottom of the 2nd, scoring four runs on a single by Gerald Laird and a sacrifice fly by Don Kelly.  Down 5-2 in the 6th, Ivan Rodriguez drove in Christian Guzman with a single.  It wasn’t enough though as Detroit scored three more runs in the 7th on a Brennan Boesch home run.

Livan Hernandez took the loss, tossing 6.2 innings and giving up eight runs on seven hits. Justin Verlander got the win for the Tigers going 8 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits.

For more on the Nationals, check out Centerfield Gate.

Mets vs. Indians

The Mets beat the Indians 8-4, winning their sixth game in a row. The game was scoreless until the 3rd inning when Angel Pagan drove in Ruben Tejada on an RBI double starting off a five-run inning. Pagan went 3-5 with three RBIs on the night. In the bottom of the 4th, Shelley Duncan put the Indians on the board with a two-run homer. Top of the 6th, the Mets scored three more on RBI singles by Jeff Francoeur and Pagan. The Indians would go on to score another run in the eighth on a sac fly by Jhonny Peralta.

Jon Niese got the win for the Mets, going 7 innings and giving up three runs on eight hits. Mitch Talbot took the loss, lasting only 5.2 innings and allowing eight runs on 13 hits.

Go to the Real Dirty Mets Blog for more info.

Phillies vs. Yankees

The Phillies took game two against the Yankees, winning by a score of 6-3. Philadelphia got on the board first in the 2nd inning. Shane Victorino drove in three runs with a triple. The Phillies got two more in the 4th with back-to-back home runs by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth. The Yankees scored in the 2nd and 5th innings on home runs by Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada respectively.

Jamie Moyer got the win for the Phillies, throwing 8 innings and giving up two runs on three hits. A.J. Burnett took the loss, going only 3.1 innings and allowing six runs on six hits.

Check out Phillies Phandom for more.

Marlins vs. Rangers

The Marlins lost their second in a row to the Rangers by a score of 6-3. The Rangers scored early and often with a run in each of the first three innings. Hanley Ramirez drove in a run in the 3rd cutting the Rangers lead to 3-1. Chris Coghlan doubled in the 5th inning to make it 3-2 Rangers. The Marlins bullpen was shaky giving up two runs in the 8th and a home run to Josh Hamilton in the top of the 9th.

Anibal Sanchez kept the Marlins in the game, but got the loss, going 6 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits.  Rangers starter Tommy Hunter lasted only 2.1 innings. He wound up with a no decision. Darren O’Day got the win for the Rangers, while Neftali Feliz got the save.

Check out Fish Guts for more.

Braves vs. Rays

The Braves beat the Rays 6-2, keeping themselves atop of the NL East. Troy Glaus drove in two runs in the 3rd to make it 3-0 Braves. In the bottom of the 8th the Braves scored two more runs on RBI singles by Melky Cabrera and Martin Prado. The Rays bats were quiet most of the night until the top of the ninth when they scored two runs on a single by Ben Zobrist and a double by Dioner Navarro.

Tommy Hanson threw 7 innings of shut out baseball to get the win for the Braves. He allowed no runs on three hits. Wade Davis got the loss, going 5 innings and giving up three runs on seven hits.

For more on the Braves, go to Braves Baseball.

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.

There’s really not much drama left in the NL East these days now that the Phils have clinched and the Braves have sort of exploded after teasing us for a couple of weeks there with an improbable late run toward the Rockies and the NL Wild Card. Ironically, there is still some juice flowing from the most unlikely of sources—the Nats.

After sweeping the Mets earlier in the week (not that you need much juice for that), the Nats opened a 4 game set against the recently resurgent Bravos at Turner Field last night and promptly dumped them by the score of 2-1. The story in this one, to me, was Garrett Mock–he of the 5.62ERA and 1.73WHIP–who matched his counterpart, Atlanta’s wunderkind Tommy Hanson, all night long. This is especially sickening to me because, being the astute fantasy baseball man that I am, I had Escobar, Prado and Diaz in my lineup last night to take advantage of the aforementioned Mr. Mock’s anticipated ineffectiveness. No dice. Nice game, Garrett, I’ll have to make hay against Livan tonight instead.

The only other NL East game last night saw the Astros cut down Cliff Lee and the Phillies 5-3 at Citizens Bank Park. I know it’s garbage time for the Phils, but you’d think they’d have found a way to get Mr. Lee a victory at home to cap off a pretty amazing run he’s had in Philadelphia since his trade from the Indians at the deadline. Heading into the postseason, Phillie fans have to feel pretty confident seeing Lee and Hamels out there at the top of the Phillie staff. Bullpen? Not so much. Lee didn’t have it last night, however, as Felipe Paulino pulled a Garrett Mock laid a hurting on the home team. And just who is Felipe Paulino? Good question. Let me know if you find out.

Finally, in one last bit of Mets-related news (because I know everyone’s just dying for a last bit of Mets-related news), last night I sprung for tickets to tonight’s game at CitiField against the Astros (thank God we missed Felipe Paulino!). The Mrs. and I will be there tonight while my parents watch the boy. The masochist in me loves these types of meaningless, end-of-season games, when the stadium is empty the bathroom lines are short. As a Met fan, I’ve had many opportunites to acquire a taste for this type of experience, and the truth is, I’m sort of looking forward to it. I’m especially excited now because I scored some prime Caesar’s Club tickets ($120 face value apiece) off StubHub.com for the measley price of $35 a pop. I’ve never sat down there, so it should be special. Has anyone scanned the offerings on StubHub recently? If your team is out of it like mine is, you’ll find a cornucopia of fantastic seats at fractions of face value. No reason EVER to get your tix through the MLB websites. Their best seats are already sold (to the people reselling now on StubHub!) and they’re charging face value to see (what by now is) a severely overvalued event. Anyway, there’s a nickel’s worth of free advice for y’all.

Enjoy tonight’s games.

Entering our final week of the season and recaps..here we go

Raul Ibanez scores in the fifth

Joe Blanton helped the Phillies finally cut some games off their magic number yesterday as he helped them win in Milwaukee 6-5.  Blanton(12-7) did not have one of his best games of the year, but went 5.2 innings and allowed seven hits and five runs on 124 pitches for the win.  Jimmy Rollins led off with a solo home run and Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino had RBI doubles to put the Phils up 4-0 in the second inning.  Ryan Madson got his ninth save of the year but did give up a double to Prince Fielder to make it anothe r stressful game.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more on this game and the Phils march to the postseason.

For a while in this one, it looked like the Brewers might be blown out, but in the sixth, they got a bit closer.  Matt Gamel, the rookie had a three run home run scoring Cameron and Escobar and Ryan Braun later singled home Corey Hart to make it a one run game.  Dave Bush(5-9) was chased after only 4.1 innings of work and giving up nine hits and five runs for the Brewers and taking the loss in this one.

Prado and Chipper score go ahead runs in the tenth

The Braves were looking for a sweep yesterday and some tenth inning heroics helped them get that win 6-3.  Brian McCann grounded out to score Nate McLouth to put them ahead 4-3 and then Omar Infante put the insurance runs on with a two run single scoring Martin Prado and Chipper Jones.  Mike Gonzalez(5-4) got credit for the win as he pitched the ninth giving up only one hit and Rafael Soriano got his 27th save of the season with a perfect bottom of the tenth inning, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more on this incredible run by the Braves.

Well, one goo thing in this game was Zimmerman and Willingham hitting back to back home runs in the first inning to put the Nats up early, unfortunately the lead didn’t last.  Livan Hernandez pitched 6.1 innings allowing three runs on six hits for a solid Livan type start, but MacDougal couldn’t hold the tie for the Nats.  MacDougal(1-1) gave up two hits and three runs in his one inning of work, sending the Nats to the sweep, check out Centerfield Gate for more.

Misch with a CG shutout..wow

Pat Misch helped the Mets extract a bit of revenge on the pesky Marlins yesterday, winning 4-0.  Pat Misch(2-4) went a full nine innings allowing eight hits and three walks , but no runs as the Mets eliminated the Marlins from the Playoffs, as was done to them the past two seasons.  Jeff Francouer continued a solid half season as a Met going 2-5 with two runs scored and a two run home run as well.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for insight on the Mets offseason plans or what they should do at least.

Chris Volstad definitely lost his good stuff this year, and needs to find it in the offense.  Volstad(9-13) went only four innings and allowed five hits and three runs with the big blow being the home run to Francouer.  Even worse, the Marlins could not manage a run in the game, with Coghlan and Maybin leading the way with two hits, check out FishGuts for the latest on the Marlins.

Game 1

Ibanez with a blast

The Phillies drew first blood in the double dip in Miami yesterday, as they came on late for a 9-3 win.  Joe Blanton(11-7) went seven shutout innings allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out nine to get the victory.  Ryan Howard had two hits and three RBI to lead the Phillies in the game with a big two run double to put the game away.

Josh Johnson has been struggling of late, and yesterday was no exception.  Johnson(15-5) went five innings allowing seven hits and four runs, but struck out ten batters.  He left down 4-0 but also got little run support during the game in taking this loss.  In the eighth inning, the Marlins socred their only three runs on a Hanley Ramirez RBI double and then a Dan Uggla two RBI single.

In the second game of the double dip, the Marlins got even, with a 3-0 victory.  Anibal Sanchez(3-7) pitched a gem, as he went eight innings of two hit ball and allowed no runs before giving way to Leo Nunez for his 24th save of the season.  Dan Uggla and Cody Ross hit solo home runs and to cap the scoring, Hanley Ramirez had an RBI double in the fifth inning.

Jamie Moyer is usually a Marlin killer, and in this one he pitched well, but not well enough to win.  Moyer(12-10) went seven innings of three run, nine hit ball in taking the loss.  The Phillies as a team only had four baserunners, so the bats were pretty silent in this one.

Check out FishGuts for more on the Marlins aspect in this doubleheader and Phillies Phandom for the Phillies.

Why is Chipper front and center when playing the Mets?

The Atlanta Braves continued steamrolling the lowly Mets last night, with a 3-1 victory in New York.  Jair Jurrjens(13-10) won again versus the Mets as he went seven innings and allowed just five hits and a single run in this one.  The Braves actually were down 1-0 before Yunel Escobar singled home Martin Prado and Chipper Jones in the second inning.  That 2-1 score stood until the ninth when Adam LaRoche singled home Yunel Escobar with an insurance run.  Rafael Soriano worked the ninth allowing one walk around striking out the side to get his 25th save of the year.  The Braves Baseball Blog has more info on this win.

The Mets, what more can you say about them and how many times have I wrote that?  Nelson Figueroa(2-7) actually turned in a quality start as he went seven innings of two hit, three walk and two run ball, but had no run support behind him.  Luis Castillo had an RBI single scoring Anderson Hernandez in the third, but that would be it for the Metsies, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more on them.

Kuroda shuts down the Nats

The Los Angeles Dodgers came in and beat down on the worst NL team, the Nats last night 14-2.  Rafael Furcal had a pair of two RBI singles to lead the way for the Dodgers and former Nat, Ronnie Belliard added two hits, two runs and an RBI during the rout.  Hiroki Kuroda(8-6) went six innings allowing just four hits and two runs to get the win in this one, leaving at only 81 pitches.

Livan Hernandez had his worst start as a National this year.  Hernandez(8-12) went 3.2 innings and allowed eight hits, eight runs and four walks to put the Nats in a big early hole.  The lone Nats runs were scored on a two run homer by Adam Dunn scoring Ryan Zimmerman in the third inning, which temporarily had them in a lead before Hernandez’s imposion.  Check out Centerfield Gate for more on the Nats.

Hamels almost gets perfection

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels had a perfect game into the sixth inning of this game against the Nats, although he lost it, the Phillies and he got the win, 4-2.  Hamels(10-9) went eight innings only allowing five hits and one run and striking out ten and looks to have found his form.  Hamels even helped himself with the bat as he had an RBI single in the sixth inning.  Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Ruiz also added RBI’s in this game.  Brad Lidge recorded his 30th save but he did give up yet another run in the bottom of the ninth.   Phillies Phandom has more on this and the Phils.

Ross Detwiler pitched well enough to win, but again, where was the offense?  Detwiler(0-6) can’t buy  a win as he went five innings allowing just four hits and one run while striking out six.  The Nationals got a run on an Elijah Dukes seventh inning single and he scored the only other run on an Ian Desmond RBI groundout in the bottom of the ninth.  The Nats hope a trip to NY will solve their problems, Centerfield Gate has more.

McCann with the big blow in the sweep

Brian McCann made sure that the Braves swept the lowly Mets last night, as the Braves took the game 7-3.  McCann hit a fifth inning three run home run off starter Nelson Figueroa to put this game away.  Jair Jurrjens(12-10) continued his mastery of the New York Mets as he worked seven innings allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) in another well pitched game.  Martin Prado added two RBI of his own in this one and McCann finished with four total RBI.  The Braves Baseball Blog is your place to go for everything Braves.

What more can be said about the Mets?  Nelson Figueroa(2-6) went five innings and allowed nine hits and six runs, and the big hit was the three run home run to McCann to make his stats look so bad.  Fernando Tatis had a two RBI single to tie the game in the fourth before it got away and Daniel Murphy hit his tenth homer of the year in the eighth inning.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Cordero shuts this game down

The Cincinnati Reds last night put another blow on the Marlins playoff hopes with 3-2 win.  Matt Maloney(1-4) got his first win of the year going five innings only giving up two runs and seven hits with only a small margin of victory.  Darnell McDonald hit his second home run of the year and Jay Bruce added a two RBI single later in the inning and thats all they would need.  Francisco Cordero had a perfect ninth and recorded his 38th save of the season.

The Marlins sent Anibal Sanchez to the mound and he did not pitch that bad.  Sanchez(2-7) went five as well and gave up five hits and three runs but had a lack of offense behind him.  Hanley Ramirez had an RBI single and later in the fifth Dan Uggla doubled Ramirez home, but the Marlins could not salvage anymore.  Check out FishGuts for more on the Marlins.

Pedro goes to 3-0

Pedro Martinez at his age, did something that most probably did not expect, outduel last year’s Cy Young award winner.  Pedro Martinez(3-0) worked seven innings while allowing only five hits and one run but struck out nine batters.  To be fair, it was against the futile San Francisco lineup, but none the less, Brad Lidge worked the ninth with some trouble again for his 28th save.  Not surprisingly, Ryan Howard ended up driving in the winning run in the sixth with an RBI double scoring Chase Utley to go along with Jayson Werth’s second inning solo shot in a 2-1 victory.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more on the Phils.

Tim Lincecum took a tough loss as he was able to hold down the Phillies offense to just four hits, unfortunately two of those hits scored runs.  Lincecum’s(13-5) final line was four hits, two runs, one walk, eleven k’s and a homer and took a loss.  The Giants only managed a first inning solo shot from Eugenio Velez and he was the only Giants hitter with two hits.

Nolasco evens the series

The Florida Marlins were looking to get a split out of a tough inter-division series after having a very tough weekend and beginning to the week.  Ricky Nolasco(10-8) rebounded from a bad start to the year to get ten victories as he went six innings allowing three runs on seven hits and seven strikeouts as the Marlins won 8-3.  Five Marlins starters had a single RBI, among them Chris Coghlan, Cameron Maybin, Nick Johnson, Jorge Cantu and Brett Carroll during the victory.  FishGuts has more on the Marlins chances going forward.

Tommy Hanson labored through five innings for the Braves and pitched well enough to win, but his offense couldn’t support him so he left with a no decision with only two hits and one run allowed, but walking four.  Reliever Kris Medlan(3-5) got the loss and a blown save as he only got one out but gave up three hits a walk and four runs (only two earned) on way to the loss.  Brian McCann put the Braves up early with a solo home run and Martin Prado and Chipper Jones had RBI singles later in the game as well.  The Braves Baseball Blog is where to go for more Braves info.

Wright looks to be ok

In a day of first for the Mets’ youngsters, David Wright did something hes done before, but it seems like its been forever.  Wright went 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored and is so far not showing any ill effects of his concussion since being back as the Mets took the finale of the series 8-3 against the Rockies.  Pat Misch(1-1) who was robbed of his first major league win last Friday by Mets relief pitching, didn’t miss this time.  Misch went seven innings and allowed only four hits and two runs for the victory.  Josh Thole, a September call up at Catcher for the Mets also went 2-5 with his first major league single, double, and stolen base, quite a nice debut.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog covers anything left in the Mets season.

Staten Island native Jason Marquis could not complete the sweep for the wildcard leading Rockies.  Marquis(14-10) only lasted five innings but surrendered nine hits and five runs to the Mets, including a four spot in the fifth inning.  Unfortunately his run support was lacking as well until after he left in the seventh inning.  The Rockies got three solo home runs from Chris Iannetta, Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes over the seventh and eighth innings but it was the farthest they would get.

Hamels with a classic gem

Cole Hamels pitched his second straight great game, the only difference was this time, he didn’t let the bullpen ruin it for him.  Hamels(8-8) went the distance in a 1-0 win versus the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night while only allowing three baserunners on two hits and one walk and using 118 pitches.  The Phillies have been waiting and hoping for Hamels to find his good stuff, and if he has now, it could not have come at a better time with the playoffs around the corner.  Ryan Howard was the only Philly player with two hits as he went 2-4 and contributed the only RBI on a double in the fourth inning, scoring Shane Victorino for the only run of the game.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more on Cole and this game.

The San Francisco Giants did what they did best, but also did exactly what they do worst.  Jonathan Sanchez(6-11) was a tough luck loser going six innings and allowing only three hits and three walks while striking out eight and only allowing Howard’s RBI double.  The Giants bats though only managed three baserunners with Ryan Garko and pinch hitter Rich Aurilia with a single in the ninth before pinch runner Andres Torres was thrown out trying to steal second.  The loss put the Giants down one game in the wildcard to the Rockies who won last night.

He's back!

Tim Hudson came back last night to the Braves after missing over a year with Tommy John surgery and I don’t think any Braves fans are complaining with his performance.  Hudson(1-0) worked into the sixth, getting one out in the inning and allowed six hits and three walks while allowing two runs and striking out five and only using 82 pitches.  The Braves bats got on the board early as Chipper Jones scored Matt Diaz on a double play ground out in the first.  In the third, when the Braves were now down 2-1, Tim Hudson himself scored on a balk after he walked earlier in the inning and Brian McCann later doubled in Martin Prado to give the Braves the lead for good.  The final insurance run that was necessary was scored by Chipper Jones on a Garrett Anderson RBI infield single in the eighth.  The Braves bullpen was solid until the ninth when Rafael Soriano got his 21st save but not without allowing a solo homer to Dan Uggla to pull the Marlins within one and allowing the tying run on base but held on for the 4-3 win.  The Braves Baseball Blog will have more on the Braves win and Hudson’s return.

The Marlins are basically in free fall at this point and they have now lost two in a row to the Braves after a tough weekend against the Padres.  Last night Chris Coghlan continued his hot hitting, going 3-4 with a run scored and Jorge Cantu also contributed three hits and a couple RBI.  Anibal Sanchez(2-6) didn’t pitch terribly, but still took the loss in going five innings allowing five hits and three runs along with two walks and four k’s and a balk to score a run.  FishGuts discusses the Marlins latest struggles.

Rockies break their slide

The Rockies came into this series at home against the Mets having lost their wild card lead and were tied with the Giants for that spot.  Luckily for them, the Mets are the Mets.   Jorge De La Rosa(13-9) survived a tough first inning in which he gave up two runs and threw 28 pitches and rebounded to go six innings allowing only four hits, two runs (1 earned) and three walks while striking out six.  The Rockies offense feasted on bad Met pitching as they scored their first on a bases loaded walk and then had a two run homer by Carlos Gonzalez in the second, a three run homer in the fourth by Todd Helton.  Another interesting note is that Jason Giambi, the former Yankee walked in the seventh as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded to get an RBI in his first at bat for the Rockies who now have a one game lead in the wildcard race.

The New York Mets really wish it was October 4th right now, its just terrible.  Mike Pelfrey(9-10) fell below .500 on the year as he only lasted four innings and allowed six hits, seven runs (only six earned), walked five and gave up two huge home runs and his ERA is now above 5 for the season.  Jeff Francouer did get the Mets on the board with a sac fly in the first inning and Fernando Tatis added an RBI single later in the inning.  The Mets got nothing else until the seventh against the Rockies relief pitching when Angel Pagan hit a triple scoring Corey Sullivan.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog will cover this Mets loss and all the Mets losses for you.

Bell with another save

The San Diego Padres are actually a “hot” team right now, just at the wrong time of the year.  The Padres got single runs in the second, fifth, seventh and eighth on their way to a 4-1 victory against the Nationals.  Will Venable had an RBI single to start the game, Kouzmanoff added a sac fly, Oscar Salazar had a solo home run and finally Drew Macias had the final nail with a single in the eigth scoring a run.  Clayton Richard(4-1) went 6.2 innings and allowedonly a single run and four hits and walking two to get the victory for the Nats and Heath Bell worked a perfect ninth with two k’s for his 33rd save of the season.

The Nationals bats have absolutely gone silent, which is a far cry from a few weeks ago.  The Nats only got four hits as a team last night, luckily one of them a home run.  Josh Bard hit his fourth homer of the year in the seventh inning chasing Clayton Richard and making the only blemish for Pads pitching.  J.D. Martin(3-4) pitched a good game going six innings with five hits, three runs but only two earned and three walks while striking out five and allowing a home run in the game.  Centerfield Gate covers more of the Nats struggles lately.