Braves vs. Marlins

Atlanta beat the Marlins 5-1 Wednesday afternoon, completing the sweep of Florida. A four-run 3rd inning put the Braves in the lead and they never looked back. After David Ross doubled home the Braves’ first run, Brooks Conrad followed with a three-run home run to center field. The Braves fifth run of the game came in the 8th when Florida’s reliever Will Ohman walked Eric Hinske to force home Freddie Freeman. The only run for Florida came in the 6th on an RBI single by Mike Stanton.

Derek Lowe got the win for Atlanta, going 5.2 innings and allowing one run on seven hits while striking out nine. Andrew Miller took the loss, lasting only 3 innings and giving up four runs on four hits while striking out two.

Mets vs. Brewers

Game One

The Mets dropped the first game of a doubleheader this afternoon by a score of 8-7. Milwaukee had a big six-run 3rd inning, but the Mets forged an impressive comeback. Chris Carter drove in two runs in the bottom of the 3rd with a single to left field. The following inning, Jose Reyes tripled to drive in two more runs. Lucas Duda hit a solo shot to cut the lead to 6-5. David Wright capped off the inning with a two-run home run to give the Mets the lead. The Mets’ bullpen wasn’t able to hold the lead, however, giving up two runs in the 8th inning to Milwaukee.

Neither starting pitcher was able to make it to the 5th inning for a win. Jon Niese only lasted 2.2 innings and gave up six runs on ten hits while striking out three. Yovani Gallardo went 3.1 innings and allowed seven runs on ten hits while striking out four. Carlos Villenueva got the win for Milwaukee. Manny Acosta took the loss for New York.

Game Two

Milwaukee took game two by a score of 3-1 to sweep the doubleheader. Milwaukee starter Dave Bush singled home the Brewers’ first run in the 3rd inning. It would remain 1-0 until the top of the 8th when the Brewers added on two more runs thanks to a two-RBI double off the bat of Ryan Braun. The Mets lone run of the game came in the bottom of the 8th on a sacrifice fly by Ike Davis.

R.A. Dickey took the loss for the Mets, going 7 innings and giving up one run on six hits while striking out four. Dave Bush got the win for Milwaukee, going 6 innings and allowing no runs on three hits while striking out one.

Nationals vs. Phillies

The home run happy Phils beat Washington 7-1. All of the Phillies seven runs came on home runs. Mike Sweeney and Ben Francisco each hit solo shots in the 2nd inning to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead. John Mayberry then hit a three-run shot to make it 5-0. Francisco would later hit his second home run of the game in the 5th, a two-run shot to left field. Washington’s only run of the game came in the 4th inning when Nyjer Morgan scored on a ground out by Ian Desmond.

Joe Blanton got the win for Philadelphia, going 7 innings and giving up one run on three hits while striking out six. Ross Detwiler took the loss, going 4.2 innings and allowing seven runs on seven hits while striking out two.

Marlins vs. Nationals

Jason Marquis was good, but Anibal Sanchez was better, as the Marlins beat the Nationals 4-1. Marquis had himself a no-hitter through the first four innings before Florida got to him in the 5th. With two outs in the top of the 5th, Emilio Bonifacio singled to drive in Chad Tracy and Mike Stanton, giving the Marlins a 2-0 lead. Florida would score another run in the 8th on an RBI single by Logan Morrison, and again in the 9th on a fielding error by Washington’s Adam Dunn. Sanchez had his own no-hitter going until the 5th inning. Washington was held to just five hits in the game. Their only run came in the bottom of the 8th on a double by Wilson Ramos to score Nyjer Morgan.

Sanchez got the win, going 7.2 innings and giving up one run on four hits while striking out four. Marquis took the loss, going 6 innings and allowing two runs on five hits while striking out eight. Clay Hensley recorded his 2nd save for the Marlins.

Mets vs. Phillies

The Mets held on to play spoilers today, beating Philadelphia 4-3. New York got it going early against Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick. Ike Davis drove in the Mets first run in the 1st on a ground-rule double. New York would later add a run in the 3rd on a solo shot off the bat of Jose Reyes. Davis drove in two more runs in the 7th to make it 4-0 Mets. Philadelphia, however, made things interesting in the top of the 8th. Ross Gload scored the first run for Philadelphia on a single by Shane Victorino. A few batters later, Ryan Howard knocked in two runs on a single to center field. The Mets bullpen was able to hold on though and finish the game to get the win.

Mike Pelfrey got the win, going 7.1 strong innings and giving up two runs on six hits while striking out five. Kyle Kendrick took the loss, going 5 innings and allowing two runs on five hits while striking out only one. Hisanori Takahashi recorded his 6th save for the Mets.

Braves vs. Cardinals

It took 12 innings, but the Braves were able to hang on and beat the Cardinals 6-3 in yet another walk-off win, putting them back in a tie for first place in the NL East. With two outs in the 1st inning, Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook walked Nate McLouth to force home the first run for Atlanta. It remained 1-0 until the 5th when McLouth tripled to drive in Martin Prado. St. Louis tied it up in the top of the 6th on a two-run double by Albert Pujols. Jason Heyward put the Braves ahead in the 7th with a solo shot to right field. In the top of the 8th, however, it was Pujols once again who tied up the game. Pujols grounded into a force out allowing Brendan Ryan to score. The game was tied until the bottom of the 12 when, with two men on, Alex Gonzalez hit his second career walk-off home run.

Atlanta’s starter Tommy Hanson went 7 innings to get the no decision. He allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five. Reliever Craig Kimbrel got the win for Atlanta. Westbrook went 6 innings in his start for St. Louis to also get a no decision. He gave up two runs on seven hits while striking out three. Mitchell Boggs took the loss for St. Louis.

Mets vs. Cubs

New York dropped their second straight game to the Cubs, losing Saturday 5-3. Chicago scored a run in the 2nd and 3rd innings to take a 2-0 lead. Luis Castillo made things interesting for the Mets in the top of the 4th, when he stole home after Lucas Duda struck out swinging, to cut the lead to 2-1. The Cubs responded in the following inning with two runs. Marlon Byrd doubled to drive home Starlin Castro, and Mets starter Jenrry Mejia threw a wild pitch to allow Byrd to score. Trailing 4-1 in the top of the 7th, Ike Davis hit a solo shot to right field to make it 4-2. This was the first home run for Davis since July 29. Just as soon as the Mets gained a run, however, they gave it right back. In the bottom of the 7th, Aramis Ramirez hit a home run to center field. The Mets tagged on their final run in the bottom of the 8th when Carlos Beltran doubled to bring home Castillo.

Carlos Zambrano got the win, going 7 innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out eight. Mejia took the loss in his big league debut as a starter. He went 5 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits while striking out two. Carlos Marmol recorded his 27th save for the Cubs.

Phillies vs. Brewers

The Phillies beat the Brewers 5-4 in Philadelphia. Home runs by Prince Fielder and Alcides Escobar in the 2nd inning made it 2-0 Milwaukee. Philadelphia responded with two home runs of their own in the bottom of the inning off the bats of Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth. Corey Hart would put the Brewers back on top in the 3rd with a solo shot of his own to right field. The Phillies would tie it up in the bottom of the inning when Jimmy Rollins scored on a single by Chase Utley. The game would remain tied until the 7th when Hart hit his second home run of the game, another solo shot, this time to left field. Just as they had in the other two innings in which the Brewers scored, Philadelphia came back once again in the bottom of the inning two score two runs. With the bases loaded, Placido Polanco hit a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Carlos Ruiz to tag up and score. Milwaukee’s left fielder Ryan Braun made a throwing error on the play, which allowed Wilson Valdez to score the go-ahead run.

Roy Halladay got the win, going 7 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out six. Milwaukee starter Dave Bush went 6 innings in his no decision. He allowed three runs on six hits while striking out five. Kameron Loe took the loss for Milwaukee. Brad Lidge got his 20th save for Philadelphia.

Nationals vs. Pirates

The Nationals beat up on the Pirates, winning 9-2. The game was scoreless until Washington put up a five-run 4th inning. Ivan Rodriguez drove in two runs with a single to center field. Danny Espinosa followed with an RBI single to drive home Roger Bernadina. Rodriguez would later score on a sacrifice fly by Justin Maxwell. Nyjer Morgan capped off the inning with a single to score Espinosa. Washington put up two more runs in the 5th inning thanks to a two-run shot by Rodriguez to make it 7-0. Pittsburgh finally got on the board in the bottom of the 5th with a home run off the bat of Andrew McCutchen. In the top of the 6th, Ian Desmond would double to drive in another run for Washington to make it 8-1. The final run of the night for Washington came in the top of the 8th on an RBI single by Michael Morse. Pittsburgh’s only other run of the game came in the bottom of the 8th on a double by Ronny Cedeno to score Pedro Alvarez.

John Lannan got the win for Washington, going 7 innings and giving up one run on five hits while striking out seven. Paul Maholm took the loss for Pittsburgh, going 4.1 innings and allowing seven runs on nine hits while striking out four.

Braves vs. Marlins

The Braves beat the Marlins 2-0 to hang on to their lead in the NL East. Atlanta’s Alex Gonzalez drove in the Braves’ two runs. The first run came in the 2nd inning on a double to center field to score Melky Cabrera. The second run came in the 6th on a single to center again allowing Brian McCann to score. Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens held the Marlins to just four hits in the game.

Jurrjens and Florida starter Josh Johnson were in a pitchers duel for much of the night. Jurrjens got the win, however, going 7 innings and giving up just three hits while striking out seven. Johnson took the loss, going 6 innings and giving up two runs on eight hits while matching a career-high 12 strikeouts.  Billy Wagner recorded his 32nd save of the year for Atlanta.

Phillies vs. Dodgers

The Phillies beat the Dodgers Wednesday afternoon 5-1, and won their series against Los Angeles. Home runs by Jimmy Rollins in the 1st inning and Shane Victorino in the 2nd gave Philadelphia an early 2-0 lead. The Phillies tagged on another run in the 7th on a double by Chase Utley. An RBI single by Rollins followed by a ground-rule double off the bat of Utley added two runs for Philadelphia in the 9th. Utley had a career-high three doubles in the game. The Dodgers did not get their first hit until the 6th inning off Roy Oswalt. Their only run of the game came in the bottom of the 8th when James Loney singled for L.A. to drive home Jamey Carroll.

Oswalt got the win for Philadelphia, going 6.1 innings and giving up no runs on one hit while striking out six. Clayton Kershaw took the loss for L.A., going 6 innings and allowing two runs on five hits while striking out eleven.

Braves vs. Mets

The Braves dealt the Mets their third straight loss, winning 4-1. Atlanta scored in the 1st inning on a two-run double by Martin Prado. Rick Ankiel scored in the 2nd inning on a single by Omar Infante. Infante would later score Atlanta’s 4th run when Jason Heyward doubled to left field. The Mets lone run of the game came in the 8th. Ike Davis scored on a single by Luis Hernandez.

Tommy Hanson got the win, his first since July 3. Hanson threw 7 innings of one-hit ball. He gave up no runs while striking out three. Mike Pelfrey took the loss, going 5 innings and giving up four runs on nine hits while striking out two. Billy Wagner recorded his 31st save of the season for Atlanta.

Marlins vs. Nationals

It was a wild one down in Florida as the Marlins beat the Nationals 16-10. The Nationals got on the board first with a 1st inning run on a single by Michael Morse. Florida responded with 5 runs in the bottom of the 1st, followed by 5 more in the 2nd and 4 in the 3rd. In the top of the 6th, Marlins starter Chris Volstad threw a pitch behind Morgan, who in response, charged the mound and began a bench-clearing brawl. The incident stems from a play Tuesday night in which Morgan barreled into Marlins catcher Brett Hayes at home plate. Hayes suffered a separated left shoulder. Morgan and Volstad, along with Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez and reliever Jose Veras were ejected. When all was said and done, Washington went on to score three runs in the inning. A solo shot by Wil Nieves in the 7th followed by an RBI single by Willie Harris made it 15-10. Suddenly Washington found themselves back in the ballgame, but Florida tagged on their final run in the bottom of the 7th on a home run off the bat of Cameron Maybin, and was able to hang on.

Before being tossed from the game, Volstad went 5 innings, giving up six runs on nine hits while striking out four to get the win. Scott Olsen took the loss, lasting only 1.2 innings and giving up nine runs on eight hits while striking out only one batter.

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.

Braves vs. Marlins

The Marlins beat the Braves 5-4 in 11 innings. An RBI single in the first by Brian McCann and a home run off the bat of Eric Hinske in the 3rd gave Atlanta a 2-0 lead. Florida got on the board in the bottom of the 4th, scoring four runs in the inning. Cody Ross drove in Hanley Ramirez with a single, followed by two more runs thanks to a triple by Wes Helms. Helms would score the 4th run of the inning on a single by Brad Davis. A sacrifice fly by Melky Cabrera in the 6th cut the Marlins lead to 4-3. Atlanta tied up the game in the 8th on a double by Chipper Jones. It would remain 4-4 until the bottom of the 11th when Ramirez scored the winning run on a walk-off single by Helms.

Chris Volstad went 6 innings, giving up three runs on five hits in his no decision. Jair Jurrjens got a no decision as well, throwing 7 innings and allowing four runs on six hits. Jorge Sosa got the win for Florida. Jesse Chavez took the loss for Atlanta.

Nationals vs. Brewers

The Nationals fell to the Brewers 8-3 Sunday. Milwaukee jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a single by Jonathan Lucroy and a wild pitch by Ross Detwiler allowed Prince Fielder to score. Milwaukee scored three more in the 4th thanks to a throwing error by Ian Desmond and a two run shot off the bat of Rickie Weeks. A sacrifice fly by Josh Willingham and an RBI single by Adam Dunn in the 6th got the Nationals on the board and cut the Brewers’ lead to 5-2. Nyjer Morgan singled home a run in the 7th making it 5-3. Milwaukee responded in the bottom of the 7th with a three-run shot off the bat of Casey McGehee.

Ross Detwiler took the loss in his first game back since undergoing hip surgery in February.  Detwiler lasted only 3.2 innings and gave up five runs on three hits. Dave Bush got the win, going 6 innings and allowing three runs on six hits.

Phillies vs. Rockies

Philadelphia beat the Rockies 4-3. The Rockies, Clint Barmes, drove in the game’s first run in the 1st.  The Phillies responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run shot to left field off the bat of Ben Francisco. Ryan Spilborghs homered in the 4th for Colorado to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead. The Phillies came back in the 7th as Jimmy Rollins drove in and scored the Phillies’ 3rd and 4th runs.

J.A. Happ got a no decision, throwing 5 innings and allowing three runs on four hits.  Jeff Francis also got a no decision, going 5 innings and giving up two runs on six hits. Ryan Madson got the win for Philadelphia. Joe Beimel took the loss for Colorado. Brad Lidge recorded his 9th save for the Phillies.

Mets vs. Dodgers

The Mets fell to the Dodgers 1-0, finishing their road trip with a 2-9 record. Russell Martin doubled to left field in the 8th inning, scoring Casey Blake from first base for the game’s only run. The Mets threatened in the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings, but couldn’t break through against Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw.

R.A. Dickey left the game after landing awkwardly while pitching to Martin in the 6th.  Dickey was pulled after pitching 5.2 brilliant innings, and giving up two hits.  Kershaw pitched 8 very good innings to get the win. He allowed seven hits and no runs. Pedro Feliciano gave up the winning run giving him the loss. Kenley Jansen recorded his 1st save for the Dodgers.

Mets vs. Nationals

The Nationals beat the The Mets in a score of 2-1. The Mets scored a run in the 1st when Ike Davis singled home Jesus Feliciano.  The Nationals tied it up in the 7th when Nyjer Morgan singled home Ian Desmond.  In the 9th the Nationals scored the go ahead run when Ryan Zimmerman hit a sac fly to bring home Willy Harris.

Johan Santana pitched 7 innings giving up 6 hits, 1 run, and 7 strikeouts.  Livan Hernandez pitched 7 innings giving up 7 hits, 1 run, and 7 strikeouts.   Matt Capps got the win pitching 1 inning giving up 1 hit with 1 strikeout.  The loss went to Pedro Feliciano who pitched 1 inning giving up 2 hits, 1 run, with no strikeouts.

Phillies vs. Pirates

The Pirates beat the Phillies in a score of 3-2. The Pirates struck first when they scored in the 2nd when Bobby Crosby singled home Lastings Milledge.  The Phillies then added a run in the 3rd when Wilson Valdez hit a solo shot.  The Pirates tacked on another run in the 3rd when Pedro Alvarez doubled home Jose Tabata and they added another run in the 4th when Jose Tabata singled home Andy LaRoche.  In the 5th the Phillies added a run when Shane Victorino scored thanks to a fielding error off of a Greg Dobbs hit.

Daniel McCutchen got the win and pitched 5.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 2 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  Cole Hamels took the loss and pitched 7 innings giving up 5 hits, 3 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  Octavio Dotel pitched 1 inning giving up 1 hit with 1 strikeout.

The Braves and Marlins were off.

Mets vs. Twins

The Mets started off their series with the Twins with a win, as they beat Minnesota 5-2. The Twins got things going with a lead-off home run by Denard Span in the 1st. Span knocked in the Twins second run in the 5th on a ground out to second base. The Mets scored three runs in the 3rd inning on doubles by David Wright and Jason Bay, and a single by Ike Davis. The Mets scored another run in the 5th on a sacrifice fly by Jose Reyes and again the 6th on a Wright home run.

Mike Pelfrey got the win, his 10th of the year. Pelfrey went 6 innings and allowed two runs on six hits. Minnesota’s Kevin Slowey took the loss. He lasted 6 innings, giving up five runs on six hits. Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 17th save.

Go to Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Braves vs. Tigers

The Braves ended their three-game losing streak and reached a few milestones as they beat the Tigers 3-1. Detroit scored their one and only run of the night in the 1st inning on an RBI single by Brennan Boesch. Atlanta tied it up in the 2nd on a single by Melky Cabrera. Brian McCann hit a home run in the 4th inning, his 9th of the year and the 100th of his career, to make it 2-1 Braves. The Braves scored again in the 8th with a home run by Brooks Conrad.

Kris Medlen got the win, pitching 6.2 innings and giving up one run on six hits. Andrew Oliver, making his Major League debut, took the loss. He went six innings and gave up two runs on five hits. Billy Wagner came in to the 9th to get the save, his 400th career save.

For more info go to Braves Baseball.

Marlins vs. Padres

The Marlins fell to the Padres 3-0. Florida’s bats were quiet for much of the night. The Marlins left nine men on base and only had one hit with runners in scoring position. The Padres didn’t do much at the plate either until the 7th when they scored one run on a single by Oscar Salazar and two more on a home run by Will Venable.

Chris Volstad took the loss, throwing 6 innings and giving up three runs on seven hits. Clayton Richard got the win, going 6 innings and allowing no runs on five hits. Heath Bell recorded his 20th save of the season for San Diego.

Check out Fish Guts for more info.

Phillies vs. Blue Jays

The Phillies crushed the Blue Jays winning 9-0. The Blue Jays batters couldn’t hit much off Roy Halladay.  Lyle Overbay did go 2-2 for Toronto. The Phillies scored in the 2nd inning on a single by Ross Gload, and again in the 4th on an RBI ground out by Shane Victorino. The Phillies big inning came in the 6th when they scored six runs on singles by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, and a double by Gload.  Victorino homered in the 8th to make it 9-0.

Halladay got the win, tossing seven innings and giving up no runs on six hits. Jesse Litsch took the loss, going only 4 innings and allowing six runs on seven hits.

For more, go to Phillies Phandom.

Nationals vs. Orioles

Sloppy defense cost the Nationals a win as they fell to the Orioles 7-6. Adam Dunn got Washington on the board in the 1st and 3rd innings with a  ground out and sacrifice fly. Ivan Rodriguez singled in a run in the 3rd also to make it 3-0 Nationals. Washington would score three more runs in the 4th on a doubles by Nyjer Morgan and Dunn. Baltimore broke through in the 5th to score three runs on a sac fly by Miguel Tejada and singles by Nick Markakis and Adam Jones, cutting the Nationals lead to 6-3. The Orioles tied it up in the 8th on a two run homer by Scott Moore and a Corey Patterson single. Baltimore went on to score the winning run in the bottom of the 9th on a throwing error by Christian Guzman.

J.D. Martin lasted only 4.1 innings and got a no decision. He gave up three runs on six hits. Tyler Clippard took the loss for the Nationals. Jake Arrieta also went 4.1 innings taking a no decision. He allowed six runs on eight hits. Alfredo Simon got the win for Baltimore.

For more go to Centerfield Gate.

Mets vs. Yankees

The Mets got off to a fast start in the Bronx, but the Yankees answered back and went on to defeat their crosstown rivals 5-3 to end the Mets’ winning streak at eight games.

Jose Reyes led off the game with a home run off of Phil Hughes, and added a two-run shot in the third inning to give the Mets an early 3-1 lead.  However, Mike Pelfrey allowed two-run homers to Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson in the third and fourth innings to put the Yankees on top.  Pelfrey (9-2) settled down after Granderson’s homer and gave the Mets seven innings, but took the loss.  Hughes (10-1) shut down the Mets after Reyes’ second home run and earned the victory.   Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 16th save on the season.

 

Phillies vs. Twins

The Phillies and Twins played home run derby at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday afternoon.  Philadelphia was poised to take their second straight from Minnesota, but the Phillies could not hold onto a five run 9th inning lead and fell to the Twins 13-10 in 11 innings.

The Phils jumped on Twins starter Kevin Slowey for seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, powered by home runs from Wilson Valdez (yes, that’s right) and Ryan Howard.  Longballs by Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth helped the Phillies build a 9-4 lead in support of starting pitcher Cole Hamels.  Jose Contreras started the ninth for the Phillies and allowed a two run homer to Jim Thome before giving way to closer Brad Lidge.  Lidge allowed an RBI single to Denard Span and a two run shot to Joe Mauer to cap off the Twins’ five run ninth and tie the game at 9.

In the 10th, Chad Durbin allowed a solo homer to Drew Butera to give the Twins a 10-9 lead, but the Phillies answered back with a Ross Gload home run in the bottom of the inning off Twins’ closer Jon Rauch to tie it up.   However, the Twins went ahead for good in the 11th off of Danys Baez (2-3), scoring three runs thanks to a Delmon Young RBI single and a two run double from Matt Tolbert.  Rauch (2-1) bounced back from his blown save to pitch a scoreless 11th and earn the victory.

 

Nationals vs. White Sox

The Nationals and White Sox engaged in a pitcher’s duel for the second straight day in Washington.  The pitchers were different, but the result was the same as the Sox defeated the Nats 1-0 on Saturday.

Jake Peavy (6-5) was the story of the day, allowing just three hits and pitching a complete game shutout.  Nationals starter J.D. Martin (0-3) pitched well, allowing just one run over six innings, but that one run was the difference.  Carlos Quentin singled home Omar Vizquel in the fourth for the game’s only run.  The Nats threatened in the ninth off of Peavy, but couldn’t break through.  Nyjer Morgan walked to open the inning and was sacrificed to second.   However, Ryan Zimmerman struck out, and after an intentional walk to Adam Dunn, Peavy got Josh Willingham to pop out to seal the shutout.

 

Braves vs. Royals

The first place Braves hosted the Royals on Saturday night in Atlanta and used a walk-off home run to defeat Kansas City 5-4.

The Braves jumped out to a 3-0 lead off of Royals’ ace Zack Greinke, scoring two in the first and adding one more in the fourth on Brian McCann‘s solo homer.  Braves starter Kris Medlen entered the top of the seventh with a 4-2 lead, but Medlen and reliever Eric O’Flaherty allowed two runs in the inning as the Royals tied up the game at 4 apiece.   The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when Troy Glaus led off the inning with a home run off of Robinson Tejeda (2-3) to win it for the Braves.  Closer Billy Wagner (5-0) pitched a scoreless ninth and picked up the win for Atlanta.

 

Marlins vs. Rays

The Florida teams played a wild game in Miami on Saturday night.  Played to a soundtrack of vuvuzelas (you know, those air horn instruments that have been the “buzz” of the World Cup), the Marlins scored three in the 8th inning to send the game to extra innings.  Florida mounted another furious comeback in the 11th, but couldn’t bring home the tying run and fell to the Rays by a score of 9-8.

The Marlins got solo home runs from Chris Coghlan and Hanley Ramirez  off of Rays’ starter Jeff Niemann, but the Rays scored four runs against Marlins’ starting pitcher Chris Volstad and entered the bottom of the eighth with a 5-2 lead.  However, Ramirez doubled in two runs, and Ramirez scored the tying run after Evan Longoria couldn’t field Cody Ross‘ ground ball cleanly.

In the top of the 11th, the Rays scored four runs thanks to the wildness of reliever Jorge Sosa (1-2).  Sosa allowed an infield single and walked two to load the bases, and then walked B.J. Upton and Reid Brignac with the bases full to force in two runs.  Jason Bartlett added a two run single as the Rays built a 9-5 lead.

The Marlins fought back, as Chris Coghlan singled home two and Gaby Sanchez singled home another to cut the lead to 9-8.  With runners on the corners and no outs, the Rays called on Andy Sonnanstine, who had pitched 4 2/3 innings the night before.   Sonnanstine struck out two and got Dan Uggla to fly out to right to end it and earn his first career save.  James Shields (6-6), who started on Thursday for the Rays, pitched the 10th inning and earned the victory in relief.

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.