Braves vs. Phillies

Despite a late rally, the Braves were able to hold on to win 8-7 against the Phillies, and with a San Diego loss, became the 2010 NL Wild Card winner. Philadelphia got things started in the 3rd with a two-run blast off the bat of John Mayberry. In the bottom of the 3rd, Jason Heyward tripled to drive home Rick Ankiel to cut the lead to 2-1. RBI singles by Brooks Conrad and Tim Hudson, followed by a two-run triple by Omar Infante equaled a four-run 4th inning for Atlanta. Derrek Lee homered in the 5th to make it 6-2 Atlanta. Conrad singled home the 7th run of the game for Altanta. The Braves would tag on one more run in the 6th. Jayson Werth hit a two-run shot for the Phillies in the 7th to cut the lead to 8-4, and added three more runs in the 8th.

Tim Hudson got the win for Atlanta, going 7 innings and allowing four runs on two hits while striking out three. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel allowed for three of his starters to get a few innings in today’s game. Cole Hamels began the game though, going 2 innings and giving up no hits while striking out two. Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton also pitched an inning, giving up one run and four runs respectively. Danys Baez took the loss for Philadelphia. Billy Wagner recorded his 37th save of the season for Atlanta.

Mets vs. Nationals

It took 14 innings, but Washington beat the Mets 2-1 in the final game of the season for both teams. The first runs of the game for either team came in the 5th inning. In the top of the 5th, Roger Bernadina scored on a single by Alberto Gonzalez. In the bottom of the inning, Josh Thole grounded into a double play allowing Angel Pagan to score. It remained tied until the top of the 14th when Oliver Perez entered the game for the Mets. After striking out Ian Desmond, Perez then hit Adam Kennedy and walked the next two batters to load the bases. Perez then walked Justin Maxwell forcing home the winning run for Washington.

Both starters got a no decision in game. Mike Pelfrey went 7 innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out four. Livan Hernandez went 6.2 innings and gave up one run on six hits while striking out one. Joel Peralta got the win for Washington. Oliver Perez took the loss for New York. Miguel Batista recorded his 2nd save for Washington.

Marlins vs. Pirates

The Marlins beat Pittsburgh 5-2 Sunday and grabbed third place in the NL East. A two-run home run by Dan Uggla in the 1st inning gave Florida a quick 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh cut the lead to 2-1 in the 2nd inning on a solo shot off the bat of Ronny Cedeno. A single by Andrew McCutchen in the 5th tied up the game. In the bottom of the 6th, a potential home run off the bat of Wes Helms turned into a ground-rule double after the umpires reviewed the play. Uggla scored on the play. Florida went on to score two more runs in the 7th inning.

Anibal Sanchez got the win for Florida, going 6 innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out seven. Brian Burres took the loss, going 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four. Clay Hensley recorded his 7th save for Florida.

Braves vs. Phillies

The Phillies won in a score of 1-0 in a pitchers duel.  The only score came in the 8th when Raul Ibanez doubled scoring Jayson Werth.

Tommy Hanson pitched 6 innings giving up 2 hits, no runs, and 4 strikeouts.  Roy Oswalt pitched 7 innings giving up 1 hit, no runs, and 8 strikeouts.  The win went to Ryan Madson who pitched a perfect 8th.  Brad Lidge also earned his 26th save of the season.

Nationals vs. Astros

The Nationals beat the Astros in a score of 3-4. The Nationals scored in the 3rd when Ian Desmond singled home Danny Espinosa.  In the 4th Jason Michaels singled scoring Chris Johnson.  In the bottom of the inning Michael Morse hit a solo shot for the Nats.  In the 7th Angel Sanchez singled scoring Jason Michaels and Anderson Hernandez.  In the bottom of the inning Danny Espinosa homered scoring Justin Maxwell.

Wandy Rodriguez pitched 6.1 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 6 strikeouts.  Jason Marquis pitched 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  The win went to Tyler Clippard who pitched 1 inning giving up 1 hit, no runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Sean Burnett got his 3rd  save after pitching to just 2 batters and giving up 1 hit.

Mets vs. Marlins

The Marlins beat the Mets in a score of 7-5. The Marlins scored 5 runs in the 1st when Dan Uggla singled scoring Cameron Maybin, Mike Stanton walked with the bases loaded scoring Logan Morrison, Wes Helms doubled scoring Dan Uggla and Gaby Sanchez, and Brad Davis grounded out scoring Mike Stanton.  The Mets scored in the 3rd when Jose Reyes singled home Ruben Tejada and in the 4th when Carlos Beltran hit a solo shot and Lucas Duda hit a sac fly to score David Wright.  In the 5th Wes Helms hit a sac fly to score Logan Morrison.  In the 8th Josh Thole walked with the bases loaded scoring Carlos Beltran and Chris Carter grounded out scoring Ike Davis.  In the 8th Dan Uggla singled scoring Osvaldo Martínez.

Alex Sanabia got the win and pitched 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Jon Niese got the loss and pitched 5.2 innings giving up 5 hits, 6 runs, and 7 strikeouts.  Clay Hensley earned his 5th save of the season pitching the 9th and giving up 1 hit.

Phillies vs. Mets

Phillies ace Roy Halladay used his arm and his bat to help first place Philadelphia defeat the Mets by a score of 8-4 at Citi Field on Friday evening.

After the Phillies scored two runs in the top of the second off of Mets rookie Jenrry Mejia, the Mets responded with three runs in the bottom of the third, capped by a Carlos Beltran two run homer to give New York a 3-2 lead.  That lead was short lived, however.  In the top of the fourth, Ryan Howard hit an opposite field home run off of Mejia (0-4) to tie the game.  Then, with two outs and the bases loaded, Halladay singled to center field to drive home two runs and give Philly a 5-3 lead.  Shane Victorino followed with an RBI single of his own as the Phils scored four runs in the frame.

Chase Utley added a solo homer in Philadelphia’s two run seventh inning.  Meanwhile, Halladay (18-10) made sure those runs stood up, going 7 2/3 innings and limiting the Mets to four runs and eight hits.

Braves vs. Cardinals

The Braves used a six run sixth inning to defeat the Cardinals by a score of 8-6 in Atlanta and keep pace with the Phillies in the NL East.

After both teams traded runs in the second inning, the Cardinals built a 4-1 lead off of Braves starter Mike Minor.  Matt Holliday hit a two run homer to give St. Louis the lead, and then pitcher Chris Carpenter helped his own cause with an opposite field home run – his second career homer.

The Braves responded with a run in the fourth, and then the Braves rallied for six runs in the sixth off of Carpenter (15-6).  After Jason Heyward and Martin Prado each drove in a run to tie the score, Brian McCann hit what would have been an ordinary sacrifice fly.  However, St. Louis right fielder John Jay dropped McCann’s fly ball, allowing two runs to score and McCann to reach third base.  The Braves added two more runs in the inning to take an 8-4 lead.

The Cardinals scored two runs in the seventh, but couldn’t get any closer.  Braves reliever Peter Moylan (6-2) pitched a scoreless sixth inning to earn the victory, and closer Billy Wagner picked up save number 33 with a perfect ninth.

Marlins  vs. Nationals

The Marlins scored two runs in the first and never looked back thanks to solid pitching as Florida defeated the Nationals 3-1 in Washington.

Dan Uggla drove home the game’s first run, and Wes Helms followed with a sacrifice fly as the Marlins took an early 2-0 lead off of John Lannan and the Nats.   The score remained that way until the seventh, when Florida catcher Brad Davis homered off of Lannan (7-7) to increase the Marlins lead to 3-0.  Those runs turned out to be more than enough for the Florida pitching staff.

Starter Alex Sanabia (4-2) allowed no runs and three hits over 6 2/3 innings to earn the victory.  After the Nationals scored a run in the eighth, Clay Hensley came on and retired all four batters he faced to earn his first career save.

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.

Mets vs. Rockies

The Mets beat the Rockies 1-0 Tuesday night. This game featured a great pitchers duel between starters Mike Pelfrey and Ubaldo Jimenez. The only run of the game came in the bottom of the 7th. After walking Chris Carter to start the inning, Jimenez then gave up a double to Josh Thole to put men on second and third. A few batters later, Jose Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Jeff Francoeur, who pinch-ran for Carter.

Pelfrey went 7 strong innings to get the win, giving up no runs and only four hits while striking out four.  Jimenez also went 7 great innings, but took the loss. Jimenez allowed one run on four hits while striking out eight. Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 25th save of the season for the Mets.

Marlins vs. Nationals

The Marlins took the series opener 8-2 Tuesday. Florida jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the 1st on an Dan Uggla home run. Uggla drove in two more runs in the 3rd on a double to left field to score Hanley Ramirez and Gaby Sanchez. Washington got on the board in the bottom of the 3rd after a field error by Wes Helms allowed Ivan Rodriguez to score. Florida added three more runs in the 5th with doubles by Sanchez and Helms. Logan Morrison singled in the 6th to score Ramirez, making it 8-1 Florida. Washington had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th, but could only get one run home to make it 8-2.

Anibal Sanchez got the win, going 6.2 innings and giving up two runs on five hits while striking out seven. Stephen Strasburg took the loss, going 4.1 innings and allowing six runs on six hits while striking out four.

Phillies vs. Dodgers

The Phillies fell to the Dodgers 15-9. Andre Ethier drove in Los Angeles’ first two runs of the game with a single in the 1st and a double in the 3rd. Ethier would score later in the 3rd on a single by Jay Gibbons. The Dodgers scored four more runs in the 4th to make it 7-0 Dodgers. Placido Polanco scored the Phillies first run in the bottom of the 4th. In the bottom of the 5th, Wilson Valdez scored on a ground out by Polanco. Ross Gload followed with a two-run shot t0 right field to cut the lead to 7-4. As soon as the Phillies made it a close game, they gave it all right back, giving up four more runs to L.A. in the top of the 6th. Domonic Brown homered in the 6th for the Phillies to make it 11-5. Los Angeles responded in the 7th with two more runs on a single by Matt Kemp. Philadelphia put up two runs in the 7th on a homer by Gload to make it 13-7.  In the top of the 9th, Casey Blake made it 15-7 Dodgers with a two run home run to left field. The Phillies fought back in the bottom of the inning, but were only able to add two runs on a double by Brown.

Vicente Padilla got the win, going 5 innings and giving up four runs on six hits while striking out two. Kyle Kendrick took the loss, lasting only 3.1 innings and giving up six runs on eight hits while striking out one.

Braves vs. Astros

The Braves beat the Astros by a score of 4-2. After entering the game for an injured Chipper Jones, Brooks Conrad scored the games first run in the 7th on a single by Troy Glaus. The Braves defense was sloppy in the bottom of the 8th, however, with errors by Alex Gonzalez and Omar Infante allowing Houston to take a 2-0 lead. Solo shots by Conrad and Glaus in the to of the 9th gave Atlanta the lead.

Braves starter Jair Jurrjens went 7.1 innings and got the no decision. He gave up two runs on six hits while striking out three. Jonny Venters got the win for Atlanta after facing just one batter. Houston starter J.A. Happ also got a no decision, going 6.1 innings and allowing one run on two hits while striking out six. Matt Lindstrom took the loss for the Astros. Billy Wagner  came in to pitch a 1-2-3 9th to get his 28th save of the season for Atlanta.

Phillies vs. Diamondbacks

Justin Upton scored in a bases loaded walk in the first inning for the Diamondbacks.  The Phillies scored 2 runs in the third when Ryan Howard singled home Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz walked with the bases loaded scoring Raul Ibanez.  Mark Reynolds hit a solo shot in the fourth to time the game and added another in the fifth when Stephen Drew singled home Adam LaRoche.  In the bottom of the inning Jason Werth homered scoring Ryan Howard to take the lead.  The diamondbacks took the lead in the 6th when they scored 2 runs Adam LaRoche hit a sac fly to score Chris Young and a Miguel Montero ground out scored Kelly Johnson.  The Phillies then took the lead in the bottom of the inning when they scored 3 runs when Raul Ibanez singled home Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard homered scoring Raul Ibanez.  In the seventh Cody Ransom homered scoring Carlos Ruiz adding 2 more runs for the Phils.

Cole Hamels pitched 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  Rodrigo Lopez pitched 5 innings giving up 7 hits, 4 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  David Herndon got the win pitching 1 inning giving up  1 hit, 2 runs and no strikeouts.  The loss went to Jordan Norberto who did not record an out and pitched 2 hits and 2 runs.

Braves vs. Nationals

The Nationals beat the Braves in a score of 3-0. Nyjer Morgan scored in the first for the Nationals on a throwing error by Brian McCann.  In the third the Nationals added 2 more runs when Ian Desmond singled home Ivan Rodriguez and Roger Bernadina.

Miguel Batista won and pitched 5 innings giving up 3 hits, no runs with 6 strikeouts.  Tommy Hanson got the lose and pitched 6 innings, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 8 strikeouts.  Matt Capps got his 25th save of the season giving up no hits with 1 strikeout.

Mets vs. Cardinals

The Mets beat the Cardinals in a score of 8-2. Ryan Ludwick singled home Matt Holliday in the first.  The Mets struck back in the second when Ike Davis grounded out scoring David Wright.  In the third Jeff Francoeur homered scoring Carlos Beltran and Ike Davis.  In the fifth they added on 2 more runs when David Wright hit a sac fly to score Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran singled home Angel Pagan.  In the sixth Jose Reyes homered scoring Jon Niese for 2 more runs in the inning.  In the eight the Cardinals added a run when Randy Winn grounded into a double play scoring Ryan Ludwick.

Jon Niese got the win and pitched 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 1 run, and 1 strikeout.  The loss went to Adam Wainwright who pitched 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 6 runs, and 6 strikeouts.

Marlins vs. Giants

The Giants beat the Marlins in a score of 6-4. The Giants scored 2 runs in the third when Aubrey Huff doubled home Andrés Torres and Buster Posey singled home Aubrey Huff.  In the fifth the Marlins tied it up when Cody Ross homered scoring Wes Helms.  In the bottom of the inning the Giants reclaimed the lead when Freddy Sanchez singled home Andres Torres.  The Marlins again tied it up when Dan Uggla hit a solo shot in the seventh inning.  In the eighth Juan Uribe and Édgar Rentería both went deep adding 3 more runs for the Giants.  The Marlins added 1 more run in the ninth when Dan Uggla hit another solo shot.

Matt Cain pitched 7 innings giving up 4 hits, 3 runs, and 6 strikeouts.  Josh Johnson pitched 7 innings giving up 8 hits, 3 runs, and 5 strikeouts.  The win went to Sergio Romo who pitched 1 inning giving up no hits and the loss went to Brian Sanches who pitched 0.1 of an inning giving up 3 hits and 3 runs. Brian Wilson got the save but gave up a run and a hit with 2 strikeouts.

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.

Phillies vs. Red Sox

The Phillies hoped for a better outcome as they took on the Red Sox in game two of their series at Fenway.  Instead, Philadelphia’s starter gave up nine runs for the second game in a row, and the Red Sox cruised to a 10-2 victory.

Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was scratched just before game time due to a strained forearm, and the Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second off of emergency starter Scott Atchinson thanks to a Brian Schneider two-run double.   However, the Red Sox jumped on pitcher Joe Blanton in the bottom of the inning.  JD Drew started off the scoring with a solo home run, and Daniel Nava hit a grand slam in his first major league at bat to give Boston a 5-2 lead. 

The Sox added three runs in the third and one more in the fourth off of Blanton (1-5), who gave up 13 hits in addition to nine runs in his four innings of work.  Boston reliever Manny Delcarmen (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings in relief and earned the victory.

 

Mets vs. Orioles

The Mets won back-to-back games on the road for the first time since last July as they defeated the last place Orioles 3-1 Saturday night in Baltimore.

Jose Reyes led off the game with a home run off of Baltimore starter Brian Matusz.  The Orioles tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the first off of Hisanori Takahashi on a Nick Markakis RBI double.   The game remained 1-1 until the top of the sixth, when the Mets took the lead.  The Orioles failed to turn a double play on a David Wright comebacker, allowing the Mets to score the go-ahead run.  Jeff Francoeur added a solo home run in the eighth inning to cap the scoring. 

Takahashi (5-2) gave up just one run and six hits over seven innings to earn the victory, while Matusz (2-7) took the loss.  Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 13th save.

 

Nationals vs. Indians

Cleveland rookie catcher Carlos Santana hit his first career home run, and the Indians jumped on Washington starter JD Martin for four runs in the second inning as they defeated the Nationals 7-1 in Cleveland.

Playing in his second major league game, the highly touted Santana drove in three runs to lead the Indians offense.  Indians starter Fausto Carmona (5-5) went nine strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out seven.  Ryan Zimmerman‘s eighth inning home run spoiled Carmona’s shutout bid.  Martin (0-2) pitched into the eighth inning, but allowed seven runs and took the loss.

The Nationals hope to avoid a sweep when they send phenom Stephen Strasburg to the mound on Sunday.

 

Braves vs. Twins

For the second straight night, two first place teams played a one run game.  After falling in the series opener, the Braves rebounded to defeat the Twins by a score of 3-2 at Target Field in Minnesota.

Braves starter Derek Lowe and Twins starter Nick Blackburn each allowed only two runs, but neither factored in the decision.  After the Twins took a 1-0 lead in the second, the Braves answered with two in the fifth thanks to a Melky Cabrera solo homer and an RBI double from Brooks Conrad.  A Joe Mauer double tied the game in the sixth, and the score remained even at 2 until the top of the ninth.  With runners on the corners, Conrad successfully executed a squeeze bunt, scoring Gregor Blanco with the go-ahead run. 

Atlanta’s Jonny Venters (2-0) struck out Jason Kubel with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth to earn the victory, while Minnesota’s Matt Guerrier (1-2) took the loss.  Billy Wagner worked around a one out single to nail down his 11th save for the Braves.

 

Marlins vs. Devil Rays

After winning on Friday in Tampa, the Marlins fell 6-5 on Saturday night as the Rays evened the Battle of Florida at one game apiece.

The Rays jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, thanks to home runs by Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and Sean Rodrgiuez off of Florida starer Ricky Nolasco (5-5).   However, the Marlins battled back against Tampa starter Matt Garza.  Wes Helms hit a two run homer in the fourth and the Fish scored another in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-4.  After the Rays added a run in the seventh, the Marlins answered back in the eighth with one of their own, but couldn’t bring home the tying run. 

Closer Rafael Soriano pitched a perfect ninth for Tampa to earn save number 16 and preserve the victory for Garza (7-4) and the Rays.

Nationals vs. Pirates

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Marlins vs. Phillies

 

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

 

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

 

 

Mets vs. Padres

 

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

 

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

 

 

Braves vs. Diamondbacks

 

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

 

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

( 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.