Only one NL East game for Monday night, Marlins @ Cardinals, lets get to it..

Pujols celebrates as the Cardinals romp

The Marlins took an early lead against the Marlins on Monday, lost that lead, and then piled on to win 11-6.  Coby Rasmus and Matt Holliday led the Cardinals with three RBI each and Skip Schumaker had three hits in four at bats and a walk to get on base a total of 5 times as well and the Cards pounded out seventeen hits.  Todd Wellemeyer started but only got through the fourth before giving up nine hits and six runs before the offense and relief saved him.  Blake Hawksworth(4-0) got the win in relief by pitching 1.1 innings allowing no runs on a hit and a walk.

Ricky Nolasco had another tough start for the floundering fish.  Nolasco(11-9) got through five innings and gave up ten hits and seven runs and only struck out four in this one.  All Marlins runs came between the second and fourth inning, the final blow being a Nick Johnson two run home run scoring Chris Coghlan temporarily giving them a 6-4 lead.  Check out FishGuts for more on this game and the Marlins.

ESPN says "closer" for Villone..hah

Last night the Washington Nationals actually got a victory against the Philadelphia Phillies.  After being down 2-0 early, they exploded with eight runs from the 3rd to fifth inning with a rookie doing most of the damage.  Rookie Ian Desmond had an RBI double in the fourth and followed that up with a three run home run that proved to be the winning blow in an 8-7 win.  Livan Hernandez(8-10) lasted 7.1 innings and allowed only six hits and two runs and left with the game well in hand, except for the Nats bullpen.  To get the next three outs, the Nats bullpen allowed four hits, five runs (four earned) and a walk before Ron Villone worked the final two outs for his first save of the year.  Check out Centerfield Gate for more info on this game.

Joe Blanton had gone what seemed like forever without a bad start, but that all ended on Wednesday night.  Blanton(9-7) did not get through the fifth before allowing seven hits and eight runs including four walks in this game.  The offense tried to get him off the hook, but it was too little, too late.  Matt Stairs hit a pinch hit grand slam and was followed by an RBI double by Victorino before Villone got a double play to end the game, Phillies Phandom will have more.

Johnson with a big night

The Florida Marlins completed a three game sweep of the New York Mets and finally gained some ground in the division race.  Nick Johnson went 2-4 with two walks and four RBI including a two run single in the seventh inning that broke it open on way to a 13-4 victory and Dan Uggla added another home run, his 27th of the year amongst a flurry of hits and runs.  Sean West couldn’t get through the fifth inning and qualify for a win so Burke Badenhop(7-4) worked two innings allowing two hits to take that honor.  The Marlins head into a weekend series against the Nationals now with hopes the Mets can give them some help as the Mets go to Philly, check out FishGuts for more.

Bobby Parnell had a very tough day on the mound and it didn’t look like he would get much farther than the first, where he gave up three runs.  Parnell(3-8) had a final line of seven hits, six runs (five earned) and having five walks as he raised his ERA to 5.49.  The Mets relief had been solid until Lance Broadway gave up four runs on four hits in his two innings of work.  Angel Pagan and Jeff Francouer had three hits a piece to lead the Mets, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more on this game.

Gonzalez CAN get the save

The Atlanta Braves were looking to salvage a game against the Astros and in the process hope their bullpen could hold a game down.  They were able to win this game 9-7 and the bullpen wasn’t perfect, but it did the job for them.  Derek Lowe(14-9) went 5.2 innings but was sloppy giving up five runs on nine hits including a three run homer and Peter Moylan made the gamecloser giving up two runs(one earned) and three hits in 1.1 innings of work.  Mike Gonzalez though worked the ninth and got his 10th save of the year, but it was a stressful inning as hegave up a hit and a walk.  Brian McCann went 4-2 with two runs scored and two RBI for the Braves and Nate McClouth added a solo home run as well in this one, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Roy Oswalt was awful in this one, only getting through two innings of work and throwing 71 pitches in that time frame.  Oswalt(8-6) had a final line of two innigns ten hits, six runs and five strikeouts in taking a tough loss.  Lance Berkman brought them within two runs with a three run home run in the third but two runs is the closest they would get in this one.

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.

There goes another segment of Chatter Up! please feel free to email any recommend questions or comments about this or a future 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.

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.

Hamels comes up short again

Cole Hamels and the Phillies weer looking to take the second game of the series against the Marlins and hoping last season’s post season hero would get back in form.  Through five innings it looked good for Hamels, who had a 3-2 lead and was pitching well, but then he gave up a two run bomb to Cody Ross to be down 4-3.  Jeremy Hermida and Chris Coghlan added RBI singles later in addition to Coghlan’s home run in the first and the Marlins went on to win 6-4.  Brian Sanches(2-1) worked the fifth inning and was credited for the win as the Marlins took the lead in the sixth and ran with it, and Leo Nunez worked the ninth allowing two hits and a run for his 11th save.  FishGuts has more information on this win and the Fish getting closer to the Phils in the division.

The Phillies bats were fairly silent on Saturday, as groundouts by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley produced two of their four runs.  The other two were on an RBI single by Shane Victorino and by a dropped popup by first baseman Nick Johnson temporarily giving the Phils the lead.  Hamels(7-7) went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on five hits while allowing four walks and two bombs.  Phillies Phandom will cover more of the Phillies troubles this weekend against the Marlins.

Kelly Johnson with the big blast

In Los Angeles, another nail biter and extra inning game took place, and had a similar result.  The Braves and Dodgers were scoreless for nine innings but in the tenth inning, Kelly Johnson changed that.  Johnson hit a two run pinch hit home run also scoring Adam LaRoche to give the Braves a 2-0 lead and eventually give them a 2-1 win.  The Braves had three hits in the entire game, but luckily got excellent pitching throughout including seven shutout innings from starter Kenshin Kawakami.  Kris Medlen(3-3) pitched two shutout innings being rewarded with a win and Rafael Soriano nailed it down, but did give up a run in earning save number 17.  The Braves Baseball Blog is your place for all Braves information.

Clayton Kershaw pitched seven innings of no run ball himself, only allowing two hits a walk and striking out ten while leaving with 103 pitches.  Guillermo Mota(3-3) took the loss working the tenth and walking Adam LaRoche before giving up the blast to Kelly Johnson.  Andre Ethier produced the only run for the Dodgers as he doubled in Juan Pierre in the tenth inning but that was all they got.

Talking about winter vacations?

The San Diego Padres were looking to take their third straight agains the once again Reeling New York Mets.  They sent rookie Mat Latos to the hill, and Latos looked great, except for a first inning run.  Will Venable and David Eckstein had RBI singles and Cabrera walked to score a run as the Padres won 3-1.  Latos(4-1) went six innings and allowed four hits and only a first inning home run for the win.  Former Met Heath Bell worked the ninth inning and got his 28th save of the season, the Padres go for a four game sweep on Sunday afternoon.

What can you say about the Mets that hasn’t been said?  They started Bobby Parnell as Mike Pelfrey had to attend to the birth of his son.  Parnell(2-4) lasted only 2.1 innings allowing two runs on four hits, but had an extremely high pitch count of 68 before leaving.  Five Met relievers got them through the game only allowing one extra run and Alex Cora gave all the offense with a 1st inning home run. The Real Dirty Mets Blog will have more information on the Mets as they just hope to get a quick ending to the season.

The Nats are happy

The Washington Nationals have won yet again, making it seven in a row Saturday by a score of 5-2.  Garret Mock(1-4) got his first win of the year while going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits with seven K’s.  The offense was carried by Homeruns by Willingham and Josh Bard as well as an RBI single from Adam Dunn.  The team looks good lately, and you have to wonder if it is care free play, the youth, or the new manager.  Jorge Sosa got the save in the ninth as Mike MacDougal had been in need of a day off.  Make sure to check out CenterfieldGate for more information on the new Nats.

Danny Haren(11-7) had his second straight rough outting against a NL East opponent but this time got the loss.  Haren gave up five runs and seven hits in six innings after giving up five runs against the Mets earlier this week on his way to this loss.  Mark Reynolds hit a two run home which proved to be all the offense the Diamondbacks would muster as they look to avoid a sweep on Sunday.

Welcome to Chatter Up! here at NLEC. This edition will match up Rab Bethan of FishGuts for his first appearance, but Fishguts’ third, as the Marlins travel to Philly after a sweep at the hands of the Nats. Matt Smith of Phillies Phandom makes his first of many appearances after a Phillies series win against the Rockies. Enjoy!

Matt R(NLEC): How is Nick Johnson changing this team through his first week?

Rab B(FG): He’s been absolutely great since joining. In the 6 games with the Fish he’s gotten on base every time, hitting .400/.567/.600. It’s completely change the completion of the lineup, replacing a sub.-300 OBP with the 5th best OBP in the league in front of the NL batting leader in Hanley Ramirez. There was worry of a defensive problem with Cantu moving back across the diamond but after a couple miscues against the Cubs in his first game at 3rd base he’s been solid.

Matt R(NLEC): Did what just happened against the Nats make you rethink this season’s possibilities?

Rab B(FG):Well, obviously any time you lose three straight games going into the stretch, it makes you rethink your post-season aspirations. Now, when you consider to whom and how we lost these games, it really shakes you. But these are flaws that we already knew we had with the team, mainly inconsistent pitching and a problem getting “big hits”. This team still has a chance at making the playoffs though, being only 4 games out of the wild card. I think at this point I think that the division is probably out of the question but, after the 2007 Mets, you can’t ever count that out.

Matt R(NLEC): What happened this week? The pitching seemed to just falter.

Rab B(FG):Like I said, the Marlins for one just couldn’t get a big hit. In the first two games the team was only 4-18 with RISP and couldn’t add on runs at the end. In the third game they managed 8 runs but still had trouble adding on, only going 5-19. But really what killed that last game was a bad start from Volstad and bad choices of relievers. I don’t usually blame managing but in that game manager Fredi Gonzalez and bench coach Carlos Tosca only threw out the worst relievers we had, even when it was a 1 run game at the end.

Matt R(NLEC): What are the keys to this weekends set in Philly? Is this make or break the season time?

Rab B(FG):When playing in Citizens Bank Park it’s always important to try to add on as many runs as possible. No matter how good your pitching is no lead is safe there, especially not against a team with so many great hitters up and down the lineup. Obviously you want your pitching to do it’s work on that end but there’s only so much you can do in that sandbox. And yes, this is very much make or break. Every game left is do or die, especially considering how well put together the Phillies and the other teams in the Wild Card race are.

Matt R(NLEC): What Phils pitcher and Hitter scare you the most?

Rab B(FG): As far as pitchers go only one name in the probable pitchers section puts fear into the heart of Marlins fans like no one else’s, Jamie Moyer. He’s 13-2 with a 2.83 against us and gives our hitters absolute fits. And as far as hitters I don’t think there are many hitters more intimidating in baseball than Ryan Howard. You can argue that Chase Utley is the better overall hitter but every time you face Howard, especially in CBP, you know there’s a huge chance the ball could end up the in the next stratosphere.

Thanks Rab, great debut, we will move on to Matt Smith from Phillies Phandom now.

Matt R(NLEC): (via MrNorthJersey) How much buzz if any is there among Philly fans about all the injuries that the Mets have endured this year and do you think fans care either way that they did not get to play the Mets at their best in 2009?

Matt S(PP): The Mets are not a concern at all. The Phils’ sweep at Citizens Bank Park over 4th of July weekend was kind of the turning point for both teams. The Phillies got back on the winning track while the Mets headed in the wrong direction. At this point in the season, the Mets are so far off the radar, nobody cares (our biggest issues is the starting rotation and not any one team). I think fans simply do not care that the Mets aren’t at full strength. In my view, though, beating the Mets at their current state is nothing to brag about. It’s a shame because the rivalry has taken a step back, but at the same time, we worry about our business first and foremost and ignore what the Mets are doing as long as they aren’t winning

Matt R(NLEC):Looking back on the Cliff Lee trade, were you initially disappointed it wasn’t Halladay?

Matt S(PP):Yes. Who wouldn’t be? But I realized the Phillies traded for probably the best left-handed pitcher in the AL for a whole lot less. Halladay would have been great to have, but the way I see it, both pitchers are equal. They are true staff aces. The fans have welcomed Lee with open arms. The best way to answer is, “Roy Who?”

Matt R(NLEC): Did Cliff Lee make the Phils the NL favorites? What teams, in either league are the biggest threat to a Phils repeat?

Matt S(PP): I think the Phillies are favorites, yes. But, then again, I thought the Phillies were the best team in the NL long before the Cliff Lee trade. Honestly, the only team that worries me in the NL is the Giants. Who’d want to face that starting staff? They showed over the weekend that they could beat us. Moreover, the Phillies could not hit at all in that ballpark. Braves have take 7 of 9 against us, and they have great pitching, too. In the AL, the Red Sox and Angels worry me the most. I know the Yankees are probably the best team in the majors right now, but Boston and Los Angeles absolutely dominated the Phillies last season in interleague play. We were so overmatched. That’s still fresh in my mind.

Matt R(NLEC): How huge have Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth been this year? As an outsider it appears the Phils would not be nearly as successful without them.

Matt S(PP):Victorino and Werth have had career seasons. When Jimmy Rollins was struggling, Victorino was the offensive sparkplug. He kind of carried things when J-Roll wasn’t hitting. Victorino always had great potential, and so did Werth. I worry that Werth will crash and fall sooner than later, but right now he’s hitting for power, driving in runs and playing a hell of a right field. Werth and Victorino just needed a chance to play everyday and the Phillies gave them a chance. They have been big keys to the team’s success.

Matt R(NLEC): Which Marlins hitter AND pitcher scare you the most?

Matt S(PP):Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson. However, the biggest Phillies Killer is Wes Helms. It boggles my mind how good he hits against the Phillies. Helms and Rod Barajas were awful as members of the Phillies in 2007, but both have come back to haunt us on other teams.

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.

Nick Johnson with a blast

The Florida Marlins needed to get a win and get back on track, and luckily they were able to do that tonight.  They got all the runs they needed in the first two innings in Philly, but held on to win 3-2.  Nick Johnson homered in the first and was followed by a Dan Uggla RBI double later.  Cody Ross capped the Marlins scoring with a home run of his own in the second inning.  Starter Ricky Nolasco(8-7) continues to get back to last seasons form as he worked seven innings only making one mistake in giving up a two run home run and four hits total.  Leo Nunez worked the ninth and recorded his tenth save of the season.  FishGuts has more on the series and the Marlins for you.

Joe Blanton worked yet another solid start the Phils and they had a chance to win if they could have gotten to Nolasco.  Blanton(7-6) went 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits but as we mentioned, all in the first two innings.  The only offense the Phillies could muster against the Marlins was a seventh inning two run blast by new Philly Ben Franciso scoring Raul Ibanez.  Phillies Phandom is the place to go for more Phillies insight and info.

Yes, Zimm again

Break up the Nats!  The Nationals have now won six games in a row after snapping the Diamondbacks streak and extending their own on Friday night.  Elijah Dukes had a second straight big day as he finished with three RBI while going 1-3 with a sac fly and a double.  Josh Willingham added a two run single and Ryan Zimmerman had another home run, of the solo variety.  Colin Balester gave up five runs in the first two innings but got into the fifth only allowing those five on eight hits before being removed getting the first two outs.  Jason Bergmann(2-1) got the win while recording one out in relief in the top of the seventh.  Closer Mike MacDougal is on fire and recorded his 11th save while working 1.2 innings allowing two hits and a walk.  Centerfieldgate has more on the game.

The Diamondbacks had solo home runs from Mark Reynolds and Josh Whitesell to start the second inning and a three run shot by Stephen Drew to cap the inning.  That would be all of their runs until a sacrifice fly by Stephen Drew in the eighth to pull within one.  Jon Garland got a no decision working six innings and allowing four earned runs and five overall.  Juan Gutierrez(3-3) worked one inning allowing three hits and two runs and took the loss in this game for the D’Backs.

Church with his biggest hit as a Brave

Ryan Church had his biggest hit since joining the Braves, a three run home run in the twelth inning.  It came a few batters after Yunel Escobar singled in the go ahead run in the extra frame and was a three run shot to put the game away, 9-5.  Escobar and Church each had three hits and two runs scored, but Church had four RBI to Escobar’s one.  Jair Jurrjens only went 4.1 innings on a rare bad night for him, but as you can see the offense picked him up.  Peter Moylan(4-2) got the win in relief for the Braves, as they look to keep winning tomorrow, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Chad Billingsley went six innings allowing only two runs in this one, but the Dodgers relief just could not hold it.  Broxton received his fourth blown save of the season in this one with a run in his inning of work.  Ramon Tronsoco(0-1) only recorded one out but was charged with two runs in the loss on this one.  Casey Blake had the biggest blow for the Dodgers in this one, a three run shot.

Cabrera sends Pads home happy, Mets fans home sad as usual

The Padres went into the ninth inning last night down 2-1 and facing one of the best closers in baseball, when hes on his game.  Will Venable hit a double in the inning to score Kyle Banks tying the game at two, but they weren’t done there.  With the bases loaded and no outs, Everth Cabrera hit only his second home run of his career but made it a big one, a grand slam to send the Padres to a 6-2 win.  Heath Bell(4-1) working the ninth after Kevin Correia allowed zero earned runs but two unearned runs in six innings of work.  Chase Headley provided the first RBI for the Padres in the seventh, doubling home David Eckstein.

Oliver Perez turned in a great performance last night, as he went 6.1 innings and only allowed two hits, two walks and one run, a rarity for him.   Unfortunately the Mets offense didn’t come to play as they scored two in the first and that was it.  In the first, Angel Pagan scored on a David Wright single and Wright later scored himself when Correia threw a wild pitch, and that capped the scoring.  Francisco Rodriguez(2-3) didn’t record an out but gave up five runs in the ninth to blow his fifth save and his second in a row.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

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.