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.

Wednesday’s games:

Phillies vs. Dodgers

The Phillies send Roy Oswalt (3-1, 2.18 ERA) to the mound as they close out their series with the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Clayton Kershaw (11-8, 3.01 ERA) gets the start for the Dodgers. Game time is 3:10 p.m.

Braves vs. Mets

The Braves and Mets continue their series in Atlanta. Tommy Hanson (8-10, 3.76 ERA) takes the mound for the Braves. Mike Pelfrey (13-7, 3.61 ERA) starts for New York. First pitch is 7:10 p.m.

Marlins vs. Nationals

The Marlins and Nationals go head-to-head in their series finale tonight in Florida. Chris Volstad (8-9, 4.61 ERA) starts for the Marlins. Scott Olsen (3-7, 4.91 ERA) starts for Washington. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Marlins vs. Pirates

The Marlins beat the Pirates 6-o Tuesday. Florida got to Pittsburgh’s Zach Duke in the 5th, scoring four runs in the inning. Ricky Nolasco helped himself out at the plate by driving in the Marlins first run on an RBI single. A few batters later, Gaby Sanchez singled to drive in two more runs. Dan Uggla followed Sanchez with a sacrifice fly to score Logan Morrison. Florida tagged on another run in the 6th on an RBI double by Nolasco. Nolasco had two RBI’s in the game. A double by Morrison in the 9th drove in the Marlins final run.

Nolasco got the win for Florida, going 6 innings and giving up no runs on five hits while striking out nine. Pirates starter Zach Duke took the loss, going 5.2 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out four.

Phillies vs. Giants

The Phillies beat the Giants 9-3, to take the NL Wild Card lead. San Francisco scored two runs in the 1st — one on a double play by Aubrey Huff which drove in Andres Torres, and the second on a homer by former Phillie Pat Burrell. Philadelphia tied it up in the 5th inning on a two-RBI single by Jimmy Rollins. Shane Victorino would give Philadelphia the lead in the 6th on a two-run double to center field. Jose Guillen homered for the Giants in the top of the 7th to cut the Phillies lead to 4-3. Philadelphia responded with a five-run 8th inning.

Roy Oswalt went 7 strong innings to get the win for Philadelphia. He gave up three runs on six hits while striking out seven. Barry Zito took the loss, going just 5 innings and allowing four runs on eight hits.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves beat the Nationals 10-2 in the series opener. There was no score until the 6th inning when Wil Nieves and Michael Morse had back-to-back doubles to give Washington a 2-0 lead. Atlanta responded in the bottom of the 6th with four runs. Diory Hernandez hit his first home run, a solo shot, for Atlanta. Later in the inning, back-to-back doubles by Martin Prado and Matt Diaz would give the Braves the lead. Atlanta tagged on four more runs in the 7th. A throwing error by Adam Dunn allowed Rick Ankiel to score. A single by Prado and a double by Melky Cabrera drove in three runs to make it 8-2 Atlanta. The Braves added two more runs in the 8th to make it 10-2.

Rookie, Mike Minor, pitched 6 solid innings to get his first win. He gave up two runs on five hits while striking out five. Scott Olsen took the loss for Washington. He went 5 innings, giving up three runs on three hits while striking out four.

Mets vs. Astros

The Mets dropped the second game in their series with the Astros, losing 4-3. Jose Reyes got the Mets on the board in the 1st inning, scoring on a single by Fernando Martinez. Their lead didn’t last long, however, as the Astros took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the 1st on a three-run shot off the bat of Hunter Pence. Reyes would ground out  in the 2nd for the Mets to drive home Josh Thole. Trailing 3-2 in the 8th, David Wright tied it up with a solo shot to left field. Pence got to Mets starter Johan Santana again in the bottom of the 8th, hitting his second home run of the game and giving Houston the go-ahead run.

Santana took the loss for the Mets, going 8 innings and giving up four runs on nine hits while striking out seven. Houston starter, Nelson Figueroa, went 5 innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out four to take a no decision. Mark Melancon got the win for Houston after pitching an inning of relief in the 8th. Wilton Lopez recorded his first save for the Astros.

Tuesday’s games:

Marlins vs. Pirates

The Marlins look to bounce back from last night’s loss as they send Ricky Nolasco (13-8, 4.39 ERA) to the mound against the Pirates. Zach Duke (5-11, 5.20 ERA) starts for the Pirates. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Pittsburgh.

Phillies vs. Giants

The Phillies and Giants, both tied for the NL Wild Card lead, begin their series tonight in Philadelphia. Roy Oswalt (1-1, 2.79 ERA) takes the mound for the Phillies. Barry Zito (8-6, 3.44 ERA) starts for San Francisco. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves and Nationals open up a three-game series tonight in Atlanta. Mike Minor (0-0, 4.50 ERA) makes his first home start for Atlanta. Scott Olsen (3-4, 5.11 ERA) gets the start for Washington. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Mets vs. Astros

Johan Santana (10-6, 2.89 ERA) and the Mets take on former teamate Nelson Figueroa (1-0, 3.18 ERA) who will start for the Astros tonight. First pitch is 8:05 p.m. in Houston.

Marlins vs. Phillies

The Phillies beat the Marlins in a score of 6-1. In the 2nd inning Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz both went deep for the Phillies with a pair of solo shots.  In the bottom of the inning Dan Uggla also went deep with a solo shot.  In the 4th Roy Halladay singled scoring Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz.  In the 5th the Phillies added another run when Carlos Ruiz singled home Raul Ibanez.  In the 7th the Phillies added another  a final run when Wilson Valdez singled home Placido Polanco.

Roy Halladay got the win and pitched 7 innings giving up 5 hits, 1 run, and 9 strikeouts.  The loss went to Sean West who pitched 5 innings giving up 9 hits, 5 runs, and 4 strikeouts.

Mets vs. Braves

The Mets beat the Braves in a score of 3-2. The Braves struck first in the 2nd when Melkey Cabrera grounded out into a fielders choice scoring Alex Gonzalez.  In the bottom of the inning Jose Reyes doubled scoring Luis Castillo.  The Braves took the lead in the 5th when Melkey Cabrera single home Rick Ankiel.  The Mets tied it up in the 7th when Chris Carter singled home Jeff Francoeur.  The Mets took the lead in the 9th when Jeff Francoer hit a solo home run.

Derek Lowe pitched 6 innings giving up 6 hits, 1 run, and 3 strikeouts.  RA Dickey pitched 6 innings giving up 5 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Manny Acosta got the win after pitching 1.2 innings giving up no hits with 1 strikeout.  Billy Wagner got the loss after pitching 1 inning giving up 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 strikeout.  Francisco Rodríguez got the save after pitching a perfect 9th.

Nationals vs. Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks beat the Nationals in a score of 6-1. The Nationals took an early lead when Ryan Zimmerman hit a solo shot in the 1st.  In the 3rd the Diamondbacks tied it up when Stephen Drew hit a solo shot.  In the 4th the Diamondbacks took the lead when Mark Reynolds homered to score Adam LaRoche and Miguel Montero.  In the 6th the Diamondbacks added another run when Miguel Montero hit a sac fly to score Justin Upton.  In the 7th Kelly Johnson singled scoring Rusty Ryal to add another run.

Joe Saunders got the win after pitching a complete game with 5 hits, 1 run, and 5 strikeouts.  Scott Olsen got the loss and pitched 5.2 innings giving up 7 hits, 5 runs and 3 strikeouts.

Tuesday’s games:

Marlins vs. Phillies

Roy Halladay (12-8, 2.21 ERA) and the Phillies take on Sean West (-,-.–) and the Marlins tonight in Florida. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Braves vs. Mets

Derek Lowe (10-9, 4.58 ERA) and the Braves look to extend their lead in the NL East with a win over R.A. Dickey (7-4, 2.32 ERA) and the Mets tonight in Atlanta. First pitch is 7:10 p.m.

Nationals vs. Diamondbacks

The Nationals send Scott Olsen (3-2, 3.67 ERA) to the mound as they take on Joe Saunders (6-10, 4.51 ERA) and the Diamondbacks. Game time is 9:40 p.m. in Arizona.

Mets vs. Cardinals

The Mets beat the Cardinals 4-0 Thursday afternoon. Ike Davis hit his 15th home run of the season in the bottom of the 3rd, a three-run shot to center field. Angel Pagan scored in the bottom of the 5th on a single by Carlos Beltran. The Cardinals were held to just four hits all day.

R.A. Dickey got the win, going 8.1 innings and gave up no runs on four hits. Blake Hawksworth took the loss, throwing 6 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits.Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 22nd save of the season.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Nationals beat the Braves 5-3 Thursday in Washington. Mike Morse grounded out, scoring Adam Dunn in the 2nd, and Ian Desmond hit his 7th homer of the season, to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead. Atlanta tied it up in the 4th on a two-run shot off the bat of Matt Diaz. Washington responded in the bottom of the inning with a two RBI single by Wil Nieves. In the 6th, Atlanta cut the Nationals lead to 4-3 on an RBI single by Omar Infante. In the 8th, Dunn hit a solo shot to center field, making it 5-3 Washington.

Scott Olsen got the win, going 6 innings and giving up three runs on five hits. Derek Lowe took the loss, lasting 5 innings and allowing four runs on five hits. Matt Capps recorded his 26th save of the season for Washington.

Marlins vs. Giants

Florida won their game over the Giants 5-0. Double by Mike Stanton in the 2nd and 4th innings gave Florida a 2-0 lead. Cody Ross scored on a sacrifice fly by Ronny Paulino in the 4th. Ross doubled in the 8th to drive in the Marlins 4th run. Paulino drove in his second run of the game in the 8th on another sac fly. The Giants were kept to just one hit in the game. Pablo Sandoval singled in the 5th to give San Francisco their only hit.

Anibal Sanchez got the win, pitching a complete game and holding the Giants to just three baserunners. Madison Bumgarner took the loss, going 6 innings and allowing three runs on six hits.

Phillies vs. Diamondbacks

The Phillies won their 8th straight, beating the Diamondbacks in walk-off fashion 3-2. A double by Carlos Ruiz in the 5th and a solo shot by Raul Ibanez in the 6th gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead. Miguel Montero cut the lead to 2-1 in the 7th with his third home run of the year for Arizona. Montero drove in the tying run in the top of the 9th on a ground out to score Justin Upton. The game remained tied until the bottom of the 11th when Wilson Valdez singled home the game-winning run.

Kyle Kendrick went 6.1 innings and allowed one run on four hits in his no decision. Joe Saunders also had a no decision, throwing 7 innings and giving up two runs on nine hits. Jose Contreras got the win for Philadelphia. Esmerling Vasquez took the loss for Arizona.

Thursday’s games:

Mets vs. Cardinals

R.A. Dickey (6-4, 2.55 ERA) and the Mets close out their series with the Cardinals this afternoon. Blake Hawksworth (4-6, 5.23 ERA) gets the start for St. Louis. Game time is 12:10 p.m. in N.Y.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Braves send Derek Lowe (10-8, 4.48 ERA) to the mound against Scott Olsen (2-2, 3.77 ERA) and the Nationals. First pitch is 12:35 p.m. in D.C.

Marlins vs. Giants

The Marlins go for the win as they finish their series with the Giants. Anibal Sanchez (7-6, 3.59 ERA) takes the mound for Florida. Madison Bumsgarner (4-2, 2.43 ERA) starts for the Giants. Game time is 3:45 p.m. in San Francisco.

Phillies vs. Diamondbacks

Kyle Kendrick (6-4, 4.60 ERA) and the Phillies take on Joe Saunders (6-10, 4.62 ERA) and the Diamondbacks in Philadelphia. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Phillies vs. Red Sox

Sometimes, you have to tip your cap to the starting pitcher. Tonight was one of those nights as the first place Phillies faced Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Boston Red Sox. “Dice-K” was the story of the night, pitching 7 2/3 innings of hitless baseball before Juan Castro blooped a single into left field to end the no-hit bid.   The Phillies managed just that one hit, and fell to the Red Sox by a score of 5-0.

Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick only lasted 4 2/3 innings, exiting during Boston’s 4-run 5th inning. David Ortiz, Boston’s DH, started at first base in the NL park and contributed with an RBI double and 2 runs scored.

The Phillies were dealt another blow as SS Jimmy Rollins was once again placed on the DL after re-injuring his right calf. For more Phillies coverage, be sure to check out the Phillies Phandom Blog.

Mets vs. Yankees

The Mets evened up the Subway Series at 1 game apiece with a 5-3 victory at Citi Field.

Mike Pelfrey pitched 6 strong innings as he earned his team-leading 6th victory of the season.  The Mets handed Yankees starter Phil Hughes his first loss as his record fell to 5-1.

Jason Bay had his best game as a Met, going 4 for 4 with a double, stolen base, and 3 runs scored. The Mets built a 5-1 lead after 7 innings, but the Mets bullpen struggled and Jerry Manuel was forced to bring on his closer, Francisco Rodriguez, with one out in the 8th to attempt a 5-out save. K-Rod was able to put an end to the Yankees 8th inning rally and work around some 9th inning trouble of his own to earn his 7th save on the season.

For more on the Mets, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Marlins vs. White Sox

The Marlins fell to .500 with their second straight loss to the White Sox, falling by a score of 4-1 in Chicago.

Marlins starter Chris Volstad gave up 3 runs in 6 innings and suffered his 5th loss on the season. The big blow was a 2-run homer by Chicago’s Alex Rios, who drove in all 3 runs against Volstad.

Chicago starter Gavin Floyd held the Marlins to one run over 6 1/3 inning for the victory, and Bobby Jenks pitched a 1-2-3 9th to earn his 7th save on the season.

Fish Guts Blog has all you need to know on the Marlins, who look to avoid the sweep on Sunday.

Braves vs. Pirates

A 92-minute rain delay didn’t seem to bother the Braves, who went on to win their 5th game in a row as they beat the Pirates 4-2 in Pittsburgh.

Melky Cabrera and Eric Hinske homered for the Braves against losing pitcher Charlie Morton, who fell to 1-8 on the season.  Derek Lowe labored through 5 innings, but picked up the victory to improve his record to 6-4.  Braves relievers combined for four scoreless innings to close this one out, capped by Billy Wagner’s 5th save of the season.

To read more on the Braves and their hot streak, check out the Braves Baseball Blog.

Nationals vs. Orioles

For the second time this week, the Nationals allowed an inside-the-park home run to their opponent. However, once again, the Nats prevailed and they beat their AL rivals, the Baltimore Orioles, 7-6 in Washington.

Adam Jones provided the inside-the-park homer this time, and Ty Wiggington also homered off of Nats starter Craig Stammen as the O’s built a 6-3 lead. The Nats rallied with 4 runs in the 6th, capped by Adam Dunn’s 2-run single. Tyler Walker picked up the victory in relief and Matt Capps earned his major league-leading 16th save of the season.

It wasn’t all good news for the Nationals, though, as they placed starter Scott Olsen on the DL with a shoulder injury. Check out the Centerfield Gate Blog for more Nationals coverage.

( Written by our New Author: KLake13 )

Mets vs. Yankees

Mets opened up six game homestand with the first subway series of 2010, and this game was all pitching, as the Yankees beat the Mets 2-1. Hisanori Takahashi, making his first career MLB start, pitched 6 strong innings, giving up 5 hits and no runs. Elmer Dessens, who came in relief of Takahashi, took the loss. Javier Vasquez kept the Mets hitless through 4 and a 1/3, and striking out six to get the win.

Game changing play came in the top of the 7th with an error by Alex Cora. As a result, the Yankees took a 2-0 lead on a double by Kevin Russo. The Yankees bullpen kept the Mets scoreless until the 9th when Ike Davis hit an RBI double off Mariano Rivera. For more info, check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog.

Phillies vs. Red Sox

Boston was off to an early lead with a one-run homer by Victor Martinez in the first, but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies went on to beat the Red Sox 5-1. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth each homered for the Phillies. The only other Boston hits belonged to Adrian Beltre and Darnell McDonald.

Cole Hamels got the win for the Phillies going 7 innings and giving up one run on three hits. J.C. Romero got his second save of the season for Philadelphia. John Lackey took the loss, going 5 innings and giving up four runs on six hits. Check out Phillies Phandom Blog for more.

Marlins vs. White Sox

It was a big night for Chicago’s Alexei Ramirez who hit an RBI double and a three-run homer, as the White Sox went on to beat the Marlins 8-0. Florida bats were quiet most of the night, with the only hits belonging to Gaby Sanchez, Cody Ross, and Wes Helms.

Mark Buehrle got the win, throwing 7 shut-out innings for Chicago, and allowing only 3 hits. Ricky Nolasco, who took the loss, got beat up in his 5.1 innings, giving up 10 hits and 8 earned runs.  Check out Fish Guts Blog for more on last night’s game.

Braves vs. Pirates

The Braves beat the Pirates 7-0. The Braves took an early 1-0 lead on a Chipper Jones RBI. Jason Heyward had three RBI’s on the night. The Braves scored another run in the 7th off Jeff Karstens who pitched 3.1 innings of relief for the Pirates. Pittsburgh’s bats were quiet with their only hits coming from Bobby Crosby and Garrett Jones.

Tim Hudson got the win, going 8 innings for the Braves, and giving up 3 hits and no runs. Ross Ohlendorf took the loss, pitching only 3.2 innings for the Pirates, giving up 6 hits and 7 runs. For more in depth coverage, go to the Braves Baseball Blog.

Nationals vs. Orioles

The Orioles hung on to beat the Nationals by a score of 5-3. Adam Jones got the Orioles off to a quick start hitting a two-run homerun in the 2nd giving the O’s a 2-0 lead. Craig Tatum knocked in a pair of runs in the 3rd. The Nationals got on the board with a run in the 6th on a RBI ground out by Ivan Rodriguez. Willie Harris homered in the 8th, cutting the Orioles lead to 4-3.

David Hernandez got the win, going 5.1 innings for Baltimore, giving up one run, one hit and 5 walks. Scott Olsen took the loss, lasting 3 innings for the Nationals, and giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. Miguel Batista came in to pitch 4 innings of relief for the Nats. Go to Centerfield Gate Blog for more on the game.