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.

Phillies vs. Mets

The first place Phillies stayed hot, defeating the Mets by a score of 3-2 in Philly for their 11th straight victory.

Shane Victorino led off the first with a home run and doubled home a run in the second off of Mets starter R.A. Dickey as the Phillies jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.  The Mets tied the game in the top of the fourth inning when Angel Pagan blasted a two run homer off of Joe Blanton, but the Phils regained the lead in the bottom of the frame thanks to a Carlos Ruiz RBI single.

Blanton (8-6) pitched seven solid innings for the victory, allowing just those two runs and striking out six.  Dickey (11-8) gave up three runs and eight hits over six innings and suffered the loss.  Brad Lidge pitched around a double and a walk to earn his 27th save and help the Phillies inch closer to the NL East crown.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves visited the nation’s capital hoping to get back on the winning track.  Instead, they dropped their fourth straight as the Nationals defeated Atlanta 8-3.

Adam Dunn hit two homers and drove in five runs to lead the way for the Nationals.   Dunn hit both homers off of Braves starter Tim Hudson.  Hudson (16-9) had a rough night, allowing six runs, six walks, and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings.  Meanwhile, Jordan Zimmermann (1-2) earned his first victory since June 2009, holding Atlanta to one run and three hits over five innings.  Willie Harris hit an inside-the-park home run for the Nationals in the victory, while Omar Infante homered for the Braves in the loss.

Marlins vs. Brewers

The Marlins fell a game below .500 after falling to the Brewers by a score of 6-2 Friday night in Milwaukee.

Ryan Braun drove in three runs to help the Brewers jump out to a 4-0 lead against Andrew Miller (1-4) and the Marlins.  Braun singled home two runs in the third and doubled home another run in the fifth.  Mark Rogers made his first major league start for the Brewers.  Rogers allowed no hits and struck out four, but was pulled after three innings as the Brewers had Rogers on a 60-pitch limit.  Jeremy Jeffress (1-0) earned his first career victory with two scoreless innings in relief.

Friday’s games:

Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves and Nationals begin a three-game series tonight in Washington. Tim Hudson (16-8, 2.61 ERA) starts for Atlanta. Jordan Zimmermann (0-2, 6.75 ERA) starts for Washington. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.

Mets vs. Phillies

The Mets and Phillies play against each other for the  final time this season, tonight in Philadelphia. R.A. Dickey (11-7, 2.92 ERA) starts for New York. Joe Blanton (7-6, 5.04 ERA) starts for Philadelphia. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Marlins vs. Brewers

The Marlins send Andrew Miller (1-3, 8.17 ERA) to the mound as they continue their series with Milwaukee. Mark Rogers (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his first big league start for the Brewers. First pitch is 8:10 p.m.

Mets vs. Braves

The Braves beat the Mets in a score of 6-3.  The Mets scored in the 1st when David Wright homered scoring Carlos Beltran.  The Braves struck back in the 2nd when Álex González singled scoring Brian McCann.  In the 6th Álex González singled home Derek Lee and in the 7th Derek Lee hit a grand slam.  The Mets scored again in the 7th when Josh Thole grounded into a double play scoring Ike Davis.

Derek Lowe got the win pitching 6 innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, with 2 strikeouts.  RA Dickey got the loss after pitching 6 innings, giving up 10 hits, 4 runs, and no strikeouts.  Craig Kimbrel got his first save of the season giving up 1 hit with 3 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Cubs

The Cubs beat the Marlins in a score of 13-3.  The Cubs scored 2 runs in the 1st when Bobby Scales singled home Darwin Barney and Jeff Baker.  In the 2nd they scored 6 runs thanks to 3 walks, Brad Snyder singled scoring Jeff Baker and Micha Hoffpauir, and Wellington Castillo hit a ground rule double scoring Tyler Colvin.  The Marlins went on the board in the 4th when Dan Uggla hit a homerun scoring Logan Morrison.  In the 5th Darwin Barney scored on a pass ball and in the bottom on the inning the Marlins scored when Hector Luna hit a solo shot.  The Cubs scored 4 more in the 9th when Wellington Castillo homered scoring Brad Snyder, Sam Fuld doubled scoring Thomas Diamond, and Jeff Baker doubled scoring Sam Fuld.

Jeff Samardzija got the win pitching 6 innings giving up 3 hits, 3 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  The loss went to Andrew Miller who pitched just 1.1 innings giving up 3 hits, 5 runs, and 1 strikeout.

Phillies vs. Nationals

The Phillies beat the Nationals in a score of 7-6.  The Nationals struck first when Willie Harris hit a solo shot in the 3rd.  In the 4th Brian Schneider doubled scoring Raul Ibanez and Jason Werth.  In the 5th Jason Werth singled scoring Placido Polanco.  Michael Morse homered in the 6th scoring Ian Desmond and Adam Dunn and in the 7th Danny Espinosa hit a solo shot.  In the 8th Willie Harris singled scoring Michael Morse and Roger Bernadina. In the 9th the Phillies scored 4 runs when Ryan Howard singled scoring Placido Polanco and Chase Utley and Jason Werth homered scoring Ryan Howard.

Yunesky Maya started for the Nationals pitching 4.2 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Joe Blanton started for the Phillies pitching 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  The win went to Vance Worley who pitched the 9th giving up just 1 hit with 1 strikeout.  The loss went to Drew Storen who did not record an out giving up 4 hits and 4 runs.

Sunday’s games:

Braves vs. Mets

The Braves go for the sweep as they take on the Mets in the series finale this afternoon in New York. Derek Lowe (13-12, 4.22 ERA) starts for Atlanta. R.A. Dickey (11-6, 2.80 ERA) starts for the Mets. Game time is 1:10 p.m.

Marlins vs. Cubs

The Marlins try and salvage the final game against the Cubs this afternoon in Florida. Andrew Miller (1-2, 6.75 ERA) takes the hill for Florida. Jeff Samardzija (1-1, 7.00 ERA) gets the start for Chicago. First pitch is 1:10 p.m.

Nationals vs. Phillies

The Nationals try and avoid the sweep while the Phillies look for their 7th straight win in the series finale this afternoon. Yunesky Maya (0-2, 6.55 ERA) starts for Washington. Joe Blanton (7-6, 5.00 ERA) starts for the Phillies. Game time is 1:35 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Mets vs. Cubs

The Mets dropped their opener with the Cubs by a score of 7-6. New York got on the board early when David Wright knocked in two runs in the 1st inning with a double to left field. Wright would later score in the inning on a ground-out by Joaquin Arias, giving the Mets a 3-0 lead. The Mets held that lead until the 4th inning when Chicago scored four runs in the inning on a single by Xavier Nady and a three-run shot off the bat of Alfonso Soriano to put the Cubs up 4-3. Rookie Lucas Duda tied up the game for the Mets in the 6th with his first major league hit, a double to right field, and his first RBI. The game did not remain tied long. In the bottom of the 6th, Mets starter R.A. Dickey gave up a three-run home run, the second of the day, to Blake Dewitt. Wright and Luis Hernandez each homered for the Mets in the 7th and 8th innings respectively.

Dickey took the loss for New York. He went 6 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits while striking out three. Cubs starter Randy Wells went 5.2 innings to get a no decision. He gave up four runs on eight his while striking out four. James Russell got the win for Chicago. Carlos Marmol recorded his 26th save for the Cubs.

Phillies vs. Brewers

Philadelphia beat the Brewers 1-0, moving within one game of the NL East leading Braves. The lone run of the game came in the 2nd inning when Carlos Ruiz grounded out to the shortstop allowing Shane Victorino to score. Philadelphia’s bats were quiet for much of the night, only getting a total of four hits. Milwaukee bats were held to just three hits all night. Phillies starter Cole Hamels had a no-hitter going into the 5th inning until it was broken up by a single to center field by Casey McGehee.

Hamels got the win, going 7 innings and giving up only three hits and striking out seven. Milwaukee’s starter Chris Capuano took the loss, going 5 innings and allowing one run on four hits while striking out four. Ryan Madson closed it out for the Phillies to record his 5th save.

Nationals vs. Pirates

Washington fell to the Pirates 8-5. Danny Espinosa hit his first career home run in the 3rd inning to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Pittsburgh followed suit in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on RBI’s by Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones. Ryan Doumit hit a solo shot in the 4th inning to give the Pirates a 4-1 lead. The Pirates would then go on to have a four-run 5th inning. Back-to-back doubles by Jones and Pedro Alvarez made it 7-1. Doumit capped of the inning with an RBI single to score Alvarez. Washington fought back with their own four-run inning in the top of the 6th. Adam Dunn and Justin Maxwell each singled home a run and Ivan Rodriguez hit into a double play which allowed Ryan Zimmerman to score. A double by Espinosa drove in the final run of the inning.

Zach Duke got the win for Pittsburgh, going 5 innings and giving up four runs on five hits while striking out five. Livan Hernandez took the loss, going 4.1 innings and allowing eight runs on eight hits while striking out four.

Braves vs. Marlins

Good pitching and speed on the bases were just too much for the Braves as they dropped their opener with the Marlins 6-1. Florida got things started in the 1st inning with a run scoring on a triple by Logan Morrison. Morrison had two triples in the game. Hanley Ramirez followed with an RBI double to score Morrison. Ramirez stole two bases in the game. Atlanta starter Kenshin Kawakami helped himself out at the plate, hitting a single in the top of the 2nd to give the Braves their only run, and cut the lead to 2-1. Florida responded in the bottom of the 3rd with three runs thanks to a double by Chad Tracy to drive in two runs, and a sacrifice fly by Brad Davis to score Gaby Sanchez. Florida tagged on another run in the 4th inning on an RBI double by Dan Uggla.

Florida starter Andrew Miller got the win, his first since July of 2009. He went 5 innings and gave up one run on seven hits while striking out six. Kawakami took the loss, going only 3 innings and allowing five runs on five hits while striking out two.

Friday’s games:

Mets vs. Cubs

The Mets send R.A. Dickey (9-5, 2.57 ERA) to the mound as they begin a weekend series with Chicago. Randy Wells (6-12, 4.50 ERA) starts for the Cubs. Game time is 2:20 p.m.

Phillies vs. Brewers

The Phillies begin a three-game series against the Brewers tonight in Philadelphia. Cole Hamels (8-10, 3.31 ERA) gets the start for the Phillies. Chris Capuano (2-2, 5.06 ERA) starts for Milwaukee. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.

Nationals vs. Pirates

The Nationals are in Pittsburgh for a three-game series against the Pirates. Livan Hernandez (9-9, 3.49 ERA) starts for Washington. Zach Duke (6-12, 5.17 ERA) starts for the Pirates. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Braves vs. Marlins

The Braves and Marlins go head-to-head in a weekend series beginning tonight in Florida. Kenshin Kawakami (1-9, 4.75 ERA) makes his first start since being recalled to the Majors, taking Derek Lowe’s spot in the rotation. Andrew Miller (0-0, 4.50 ERA) starts for the Marlins, filling in for the injured Ricky Nolasco. First pitch is 7:10 p.m.

Sunday’s games:

Mets vs. Astros

The Mets look to take the rubber game of their three-game set with Houston. R.A. Dickey (8-5, 2.64 ERA) starts for New York. Bud Norris (6-7, 5.03 ERA) starts for Houston. Game time is 1:10 p.m. in N.Y.

Braves vs. Marlins

The Braves and Marlins close out their series this afternoon in Atlanta. Derek Lowe (11-12, 4.33 ERA) gets the start for the Braves. Josh Johnson (11-5, 2.36 ERA) starts for Florida. First pitch is 1:35 p.m.

Nationals vs. Cardinals

The Nationals send John Lannan (5-6, 5.23 ERA) to the mound in their series finale with the Cardinals this afternoon in D.C. Adam Wainwright (17-8, 2.18 ERA) takes the hill for St. Louis. Game time is 1:35 p.m.

Phillies vs. Padres

Cole Hamels (7-10, 3.47 ERA) and the Phillies take on Clayton Kershaw (12-5, 3.55 ERA) and the Padres in the final game of the series. First pitch is 4:05 p.m. in San Diego.

Phillies vs. Astros

The Phillies and Astros played a wild game Tuesday night in Philadelphia.  The game featured a pitcher’s duel, ninth inning home run, and a key ejection that forced the Phillies to use a pitcher in the field.  In the end, the Astos defeated the Phillies by a score of 4-2 in a 16 inning marathon.

The Astros got on the board first in the fourth inning when Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer off of Phillies’ starter Cole Hamels.  The Phils got a run back off of Houston starter Bud Norris in the sixth on a Raul Ibanez RBI double, but the Astros held on to a 2-1 lead entering the ninth inning.    With two outs in the ninth, Jimmy Rollins blasted a solo home run off of Houston reliever Wilton Lopez to tie the game and send it to extra innings.  Then things got really interesting.

 Neither team could find a way to score in extra frames.  In the bottom of the 14th, Ryan Howard came up with two runners on and two outs.  Howard had two check swings ruled strikes by third base umpire Scott Barry, the last being strike three.  When Howard tossed his bat and helmet after the strike out, Barry ejected Howard, causing the Phillies first baseman to charge towards the umpire before being restrained.  The ejection left the Phillies short a position player, and forced manager Charlie Manuel to insert pitcher Roy Oswalt in left field. 

The Astros finally broke the tie in the top of the 16th off of reliever David Herndon (1-3), scratching out two runs on an infield single and fielder’s choice.  In the bottom of the inning, Howard’s ejection loomed large again.   Astros’ reliever Jeff Fulchino (1-0) retired the first two batters, but after walking Placido Polanco, Houston intentionally walked Chase Utley to bring up “clean up hitter” Roy Oswalt.   Fulchino got Oswalt to ground out to end the game and give Houston the victory.

 

Marlins vs. Mets

 The Mets’ slumbering offense knocked out Marlins’ ace Josh Johnson after five innings and used single runs in the final two innings to defeat Florida by a score of 6-5 at Citi Field.

The Mets broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the fifth off of Johnson, thanks to an RBI single by Carlos Beltran and Jeff Francoeur‘s second sacrifice fly of the game.  Mets’ starter R.A. Dickey kept the Mets in the lead until the seventh.  With two outs and two on in the seventh, Dickey allowed a three-run homer to Gaby Sanchez to give Florida a 5-4 lead.  However, the Mets came back against the Marlins’ bullpen.

With two outs in the eighth, Angel Pagan doubled and Beltran drove in his second run of the game with a run-scoring single off of Clay Hensley to tie the game at 5.   After Hisanori Takahashi (8-6) retired the Marlins in the top of the ninth, Luis Castillo hit a two-out single off of Will Ohman (0-2) to score Ike Davis and give the Mets the walk-off victory.

 

Nationals vs. Cubs

The Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano pitched effectively into the eighth inning, and closer Carlos Marmol survived a shaky ninth as Chicago held on to defeat the Nationals 5-4 in Washington.

Nationals’ starter John Lannan (5-6) allowed a three-run homer to Alfonso Soriano and a two-run shot to Tyler Colvin as the Cubs built a 5-1 lead.  Meanwhile, Zambrano (5-6) allowed just one run and five hits over 7 1/3 innings, striking out eight.   Marmol entered the game in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded, but struck out Ian Desmond to keep the score at 5-1.

In the ninth, Marmol created his own bases loaded mess, and with two outs, Adam Kennedy cleared the bases with a three-run double to cut Chicago’s lead to 5-4.  Luckily for the Cubbies, Marmol rebounded to retire Ryan Zimmerman on a fly ball to preserve the victory.  Despite allowing three runs, Marmol was credited with his 23rd save of the season since he entered the game with the tying run at the plate.

 

Braves vs. Rockies

The first place Atlanta Braves received a solid starting pitching performance from Derek Lowe, but the Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa was better on Tuesday night, and the Braves fell by a score of 5-2 in Colorado.

The Rockies opened the scoring when Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run homer off of Lowe (11-12) in the bottom of the first.  The Braves got a run back in the second off of De La Rosa (5-4) on an Alex Gonzalez solo shot, but Rockies got that run back with a Seth Smith home run in the sixth.  Alex Gonzalez cut the Rockies lead to 3-2 with a seventh inning RBI single, but that was as close as the Braves would get.

The Rockies added some insurance in the eighth inning courtesy of a Dexter Fowler two-run single.  Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth inning to notch his 12th save of the season.

Wednesday’s games:

Marlins vs. Pirates

Josh Johnson (10-5, 2.27 ERA) and the Marlins take on Ross Ohlendorf (1-9, 3.95 ERA) and the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Phillies vs. Giants

The Phillies look to extend their lead over the Giants in the NL wild card. Joe Blanton (4-6, 5.69 ERA) takes the mound for Philadelphia. Matt Cain (9-9, 3.11 ERA) gets the start for San Francisco. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. in Philadelphia.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves and Nationals face off in game two of their series tonight in Atlanta. Tim Hudson (14-5, 2.13 ERA) starts for the Braves. Livan Hernandez (8-8, 3.08 ERA) gets the start for Washington. Game time is 7:10 pm..

Mets vs. Astros

R.A. Dickey (8-5, 2.43 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets as they take on the Astros in Houston. Brett Myers (8-7, 3.13. ERA) starts for Houston. First pitch is 8:05 p.m.