Braves vs. Mets

The Braves beat the Mets Saturday 4-0, and have a five-game lead over New York in the NL East standings. The only runs of the game came in the 5th innings for Atlanta. Singles by Troy Glaus and Omar Infante gave the Braves a 2-0 lead. Tim  Hudson helped himself out at the plate, capping off the 5th with an RBI double. Atlanta had a total of 15 hits off Mets pitching. The Mets offense struggled, only getting four hits off Hudson. Three of those hits belonged to Angel Pagan.

Tim Hudson got the win, throwing 7 innings of shut out baseball. He only gave up four hits. Mike Pelfrey struggled and took the loss, only lasting 4 innings while giving up four runs on 12 hits.

Phillies vs. Reds

The game took 11 innings, but Philadelphia beat the Reds 1-0. This game was all about pitching as Roy Halladay and Travis Wood were locked in a pitchers dual through 9 innings. Wood had a perfect game going into the bottom of the 9th inning, but Carlos Ruiz began the inning for the Phillies by hitting a double to center field. Jimmy Rollins hit the game winning single for the Phillies, scoring Carlos Ruiz.

Roy Halladay threw 9 innings and gave up five hits. Phillies reliever Jose Contreras pitched a scoreless 11th and got the win. Wood got a no decision and allowed only one hit in 9 innings. Reds reliever Bill Bray took the loss.

Nationals vs. Giants

San Francisco beat Washington by a score of 10-5. The Nationals scored two runs in the 1st on a double by Ryan Zimmerman and again on a wild pitch allowing Christian Guzman to score. San Francisco responded in the 2nd on a double by Nate Schierholtz and a two-RBI single by Jonathan Sanchez, giving the Giants a 3-2 lead. Mike Morse tied it up for Washington with a home run to right center field. The game was tied until the 4th when the Nationals scored on doubles by Ivan Rodriguez and Craig Stammen, making it 5-3 Washington. The Giants went on to have a four-run 7th and scored two more in the 9th, taking a 10-5 lead.

Craig Stammen went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on six hits. Jonathan Sanchez lasted only 3.2 innings, and gave up five runs on five hits. Both pitchers got a no decision. Giants reliever Santiago Casilla got the win, while Washington’s Tyler Clippard took the loss.

Marlins vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks jumped out to an early lead scoring in the 1st on a sacrifice fly by Chris Young. Arizona scored again in the 3rd on a Justin Upton single and again in the 4th on a home run to center field off the bat of Mark Reynolds. The Marlins got on the board in the 5th when Mike Stanton sent the ball over the center field wall for his 5th home run of the season. An RBI single by Jorge Cantu in the 6th cut the Diamondbacks lead to 3-2. Arizona extended their lead in the bottom of the 6th on a two-run shot off the bat of Chris Snyder.   Trailing 5-2 going into the 9th, the Marlins tagged on two more runs, cutting Arizona’s lead to 5-4.

Nate Robertson took the loss, going 6 innings and giving up five runs on six hits. Ian Kennedy got the win, throwing 5.1 innings and allowing two runs on five hits. Juan Gutierrez got the save.

Mets vs. Twins

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

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

 

 

Braves vs. Tigers

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

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

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

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

 

Phillies vs. Blue Jays

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

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

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

 

Nationals vs. Orioles

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

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

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

 

Marlins vs. Padres

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

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

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

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. Pirates

 

Stephen Strasburg made his highly anticipated major league debut last night in front of a standing room only crowd in Washington.  It seemed impossible that Strasburg would be able to live up to hype in his first start, but if anything, he exceeded expectations as the Nationals defeated the Pirates 5-2.

 

Strasburg struck out 14 and walked none over 7 dominating innings.  The Nats took a 1-0 lead thanks to a first inning home run by Ryan Zimmerman, and Strasburg was cruising until he surrendered a two run homer to Delwyn Young in the fourth inning.  After Young’s long ball, Strasburg took control.  He faced ten batters and retired all ten, striking out the last seven Pirates to face him.  The Nationals bats put Strasburg in position to win his debut in the sixth, scoring three runs courtesy of back-to-back home runs by Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham off Pirates starter Jeff Karstens.  The Nationals added another run in the eighth, and Matt Capps pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his 19th save.

 

The story of the night was clearly Strasburg.  With a 100 mph fastball, filthy curve ball, and command of the strike zone, it’s going to be fun to watch him pitch every five days.

 

 

Marlins vs. Phillies

 

Another stud prospect made his major league debut on Tuesday in Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton.  Stanton went 3 for 5 with 2 infield singles and 2 runs scored, but the Marlins couldn’t hold onto an early four run lead and fell to the Phillies 10-8 in Philadelphia.

 

Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick and Marlins starter Chris Volstad each gave up two home runs and allowed six runs before departing.  Gaby Sanchez and Hanley Ramirez homered for Florida, while Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino went deep for the Phils.  The Marlins took an 8-7 lead in the top of the eighth thanks to a Wes Helms RBI triple, but the Phillies scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, keyed by Ben Francisco’s two-run single.  Brad Lidge loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but got Ronny Paulino to pop up to close out the game and earn the save.  Jose Contreras picked up the victory in relief, while Clay Hensley suffered the loss.

 

 

Mets vs. Padres

 

The Padres visited Citi Field to open up a three game series with the Mets, and it was an old fashioned pitchers duel in Flushing.   Thanks to instant replay and a walk-off home run from another NL East rookie sensation, the Mets defeated San Diego 2-1 in 11 innings to earn their ninth straight home victory.

 

Mike Pelfrey continued his dominant pitching for New York.  After Adrian Gonzalez doubled in a run in the top of the first, Pelfrey shut down the Padres, allowing just that one run over nine innings.  San Diego starter Clayton Richard held the Mets scoreless until two outs in the seventh.  Jose Reyes’ long drive to left was initially ruled in play and a double.  After the umpires huddled and went to video review, they correctly awarded Reyes a home run, which tied the game at 1.  The game remained tied until the bottom of the 11th, when rookie first baseman Ike Davis homered to right field off Padres reliever Edward Mujica to give the Mets a walk off victory.  Elmer Dessens earned the victory for the Mets in relief.

 

 

Braves vs. Diamondbacks

 

After falling to the Diamondbacks in Monday’s opener, the Braves evened the series with a 7-5 victory in Arizona.

 

Braves starter Kris Medlen allowed four runs in five innings, including three solo home runs.  Arizona starter Edwin Jackson also allowed four runs over six innings, as neither starter factored in the decision.  Troy Glaus’ RBI double broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth ining, and Billy Wagner pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save.  Jonny Venters picked up the victory for the Braves, while Esmerling Vasquez took the loss.  Omar Infante and Melky Cabrera each went 3 for 5 to lead a 14 hit attack for Atlanta.

I know, I know. This is a big day in the National League East. The Philadelphia Phillies dismantled the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series, in the Bronx, against C.C. Sabathia. The same pitcher they dismantled last year when he pitched for the Brewers. It begs the question, is the National League East the best division in baseball? Admittedly, it is early, and the Yankees could win four in a row and make this post irrelevant, but if you compare the division to the American League East, tell me that the teams do not match up? The Phillies and the Yankees, the Mets and the Red Sox, the Marlins and Rays, the Braves and Blue Jays, and the Nationals and Orioles. I guess that is a post for another time, but it will be an interesting off season argument.

Now on to the AFL:

The Phoenix Desert Dogs (Nationals) defeated the Peoria Javelinas 11-6 yesterday. The only Desert Dog from the National League East who saw any action was Drew Storen who pitched one inning giving up one hit and striking out a batter.

The Mesa Solar Sox (Marlins) routed the Scottsdale Scorpions (Phillies) by a final count of 12-5. Bryan Petersen led the way for the Solar Sox with a 2-5 effort, scoring two runs, driving in two and hitting a homerun. Steve Susdorf tried to keep the Scorpions close with a 2 run homerun in a 1-2 effort but Domonic Brown (0-5, 2K) and Edgar Garcia (2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER (4R)) failed to help him out.

Steve Susdorf, Scorpions

Future stars of the National League East keep bowing out of the AFL as the Marlins shut down Mike Stanton due to a sore back. Prior to this, Stanton was hitting a scorching .478 for the Solar Sox. The Marlins do expect Stanton to be ready for Spring Training.

Mike Stanton, Solar Sox

Lastly, the Peoria Saguaros (Braves) blanked the Surprise Rafters (Mets) 9-0. Freddie Freeman (3-4, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and Brandon Hicks (2-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB) led the hit parade while Jeff Lyman (1 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K) and Lee Hyde (1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) helped to keep the Rafters off the scoreboard. The Rafters received a 2-4 day from Reese Havens and a 1-4 from Ruben Tejada.

 

 

  Todays actions will see the Phoenix Desert Dogs take on the Peoria Saguaros. The Mesa Solar Sox will give Andrew Miller the start against the Javelinas, and the Rafters will take on the Scorpions.

The National League East has transplanted west in the sunshine of Arizona for the moment, except of course for the Philadelphia Phillies who are still alive in the playoffs. Here is a statistical recap of the players the National League East sent to the Arizona Fall League:

Phoenix Desert Dogs:
(featuring the Washington Nationals)                                                                                                      

Danny Espinosa, 2B: .200 AVG; 2 R; 4 RBI; 2 BB; 2 K; 1 SB
Chris Marrero, 1B: .429 AVG; 1 R; 1 2B; 1 HR; 2 RBI; 3 BB; 1 K
Stephen Strasburg, P: 1 W; 3.1 IP; 2 H; 1 BB; 2 K; 0 ER
Drew Storen, P: 2.0 IP; 4 H; 2 R; 0 ER; 0 BB; 2 K
Jeff Mandel, P: 1 IP; 1 H; 0 ER; 0 BB; 0 K
Josh Wilkie, P: 1 IP; 3 H; 4 R; 0 ER; 2 BB; 2 K
Sean Rooney: Has Not Played

Surprise Rafters:
(featuring the New York Mets)

Lucas Duda, OF: .400 AVG; 1 2B; 1 R; 2 RBI, 1 BB                                                                                       
Ruben Tejada, SS: .385 AVG; 1 2B; 5 R; 3 RBI; 1 BB; 3 K; 2 SB
Ike Davis, 1B: .357 AVG; 2 2B; 2 R; 8 RBI; 1 HR; 0 BB; 4 K
Reese Havens, SS: .000 AVG; 1 BB; 3 K
Josh Stinson, P: 2 IP; 2 H, 2 ER; 1 HR Allowed; 2 BB, 1 K
Scott Moviel, P: 1 W; 2 IP; 0 H; 0 ER; 1 HB; 3 BB; 0 K
Jenrry Mejia, P: 1.0 IP; 1 H; 3 ER; 3 BB; 1 K
Eric Niesen, P: 1 IP; 0 ER; 0 H; 0 BB; 0 K

Mesa Solar Sox
(featuring the Florida Marlins):

Mike Stanton, OF: .533 AVG; 2 R; 2 RBI; 1 HR; 2 BB; 6 K; 3 SB                                                          
Bryan Petersen, OF: .400 AVG; 3 R; 2 2B; 1 RBI; 1 HR; 0 BB; 1 K
Matt Dominguez, 3B: .154 AVG; 2 R; 0 RBI; 0 BB; 3 K
Greg Burns, OF: .000 AVG; 2 BB; 1 K
Andrew Miller, P: 2 IP; 1 H; 1 ER; 3 BB; 2 K
Jay Voss, P: 2 IP; 2 H; 3 ER; 1 HR Allowed; 2 BB; 3 K
Garrett Parcell, P: 1.2 IP; 5 H; 3 R; 0 ER; 0 BB; 3 K
Jay Buente, P: 1 IP; 2 H; 2 R; 1 ER; 0 BB; 0 K

Peoria Saguaros:
(featuring the Atlanta Braves):

Jason Heyward, RF: .286 AVG; 3 R; 3 2B; 1 RBI; 2 BB; 1 K; 2 SB
Brandon Hicks, SS: .231 AVG; 1 R; 0 BB; 3 K
Freddie Freeman, 1B: .143 AVG; 0 R; 0 RBI; 2 BB; 3 K                                                                                                     
Jeff Lyman, P: 0-1; 2.1 IP; 6 H; 6 ER; 2 HR Allowed; 4 BB; 2 K
Mike Minor, P: 2.0 IP; 1 H, 1 R; 0 ER; 2 BB: 0 K
Lee Hyde, P: 2.0 IP; 1 H; 0 R; 1 BB; 4 K

Scottsdale Scorpions
(featuring the Philadelphia Phillies):

Tuffy Gosewisch, C: .444 AVG; 0 R; 0 RBI; 0 BB; 3 K
Domonic Brown, OF: .300 AVG; 2 R; 3 2B; 4 RBI; 1 HR; 4 BB; 3 K
Steve Susdorf, OF: .077 AVG; 1 R; 1 RBI; 1 HR; 1 BB; 2 K
Troy Hanzawa, SS: .000 AVG; 1 R; 1 BB; 1 K
Edgar Garcia, P: 1-1; 4.0 IP; 4H; 4 R; 3 ER; 3 BB; 4 K                                                                                                 
Michael Cisco, P: 2 IP; 1 H; 0 ER; 2 BB; 3 K
Michael Schwimer, P: 2.0 IP; 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Scott Mathieson, P: 2 IP; 0 H; 0 ER; 0 BB; 2 K

Please feel free to email any recommend questions or comments about the segment to mrose@nleastchatter.com or go to this forum topic and post a reply.

Please feel free to email any recommend questions or comments about the segment to mrose@nleastchatter.com or go to this forum topic and post a reply.

The Rosters for the 2009 Futures Game on July 12th in St. Louis have been announced, and the National League East has 8 total representatives including 3 clubs with multiple.  The players that are listed are below:

	World Yohan Flande LHP US Kyle Drabek RHP
	World Jennry Mejia RHP Wilmer Flores SS
	US Mike Stanton OF
	World Luis Perez LHP US Jason Heyward
	US Danny Espinosa