Before I get to baseball, my thoughts and prayers are with Redskins Safety Sean Taylor, who is in critical condition after being shot in Florida. But now to the less important matters of the baseball world including news, rumors, and a look at the first day on MLB.com counting down the 50 greatest prospects in the game. Today is 41-50, and if you don't think it matters, you're dead wrong. Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jason Hirsh, Kevin Slowey, and Adam Jones were in the 41-50 range and made an impact for their respective clubs.
-This just in, the Cubs have just announced that they've given Kerry Wood a 1 year contract. Ken Rosenthal has reported his deal is worth 4.2 million.
-Indians reliever Juan Lara was involved in a serious car accident in the Dominican when his SUV was struck by a motorcycle. He played most of the year in AAA but was in the majors late in the season. The AP has reported that Lara will need surgery in the US.
-It was certainly interesting when the Reds signed Francisco Cordero last week to a 4 year, 46 million dollar deal. That seems like too much for me. He was inconsistent in the last hitters park he pitched in (Texas) and the GABP is a hitters paradise. We'll see, but I'm a bit leery of the transactions. Then again, look who else is out there. Are you still thinking? Exactly my point.
-This is for all you Brewers fans out there. Former manager Jerry Royster has become the first ever foreign skipper in Korea, as he has signed to manage the Lotte Giants. How the "mighty" have fallen.
-The Marlins are not budging from their stance of wanting four legit players from the Angels, who would be the best candidates to get Miguel Cabrera right now. (Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
-Bobby Kielty's situation hinges on what Boston does with Coco Crisp. The Twins, Braves, White Sox, and Rangers are interested. (Boston Herald)
-The Winter Meetings are coming up, and Johan Santana will be a main subject. (The Free World)
-Phil Rogers reports that the Yankees and Red Sox would be very interested in Dan Haren.
-The Rays are very interested in Cesar Izturis, according to the St Petersburg Times. The Nationals are still interested in Elijah Dukes
-Pittsburgh has inquired about Matt Clement, says the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
-Arizona may let Tony Clark go and replace him with Mark Sweeney. (East Valley Tribune)
-The St Paul Pioneer Press reports that a Matt Garza trade to Tampa for Delmon
MLB.com Top Prospects 41-50
50)Dexter Fowler- CF- COL
-He was a rising star in the Fall League this year after a decent season at high A Modesto. He batted .273 but had a .397 on base. His ETA is 2010.
49)Austin Jackson- OF- NYY
-Jackson shows a nice amount of power, belting 13 homers in mostly A ball this year and swiped 33 bags with a .370 OBP. He has to cut down on his striekouts but has very good potential. ETA 2010, but could be sooner.
48-)Carlos Triunfel- SS- SEA
-17 years old and already in high A! He batted .296 which is promising, but had a low on base and got caught stealing more than he had SB's, but scouts are in awe of his raw talent and amazing SS arm. ETA 2010.
47)Johnny Cueto- RSP- CIN
-Scouts have him just behind Homer Bailey among team pitching prospects. Was 12-9 with a 3.07 ERA in 28 starts between A, AA, and AAA. He had 170 strikeouts to only 34 walks, and only gave up 11 homers in 161 innings. The 21 year old has a mid 90's fastball, a slider, and a change. He should be in the majors this coming season.
46)Jeff Clement- C- SEA
-Clement put up a solid .275-20-80-.370 year in AAA and hit 2 homers in 9 games with the big club. He's ready for the bigs hitting-wise now, but his defense is a liability and they have Kenji Jojhima behind the plate.
45)Radhames Liz- RRP- BAL
-Liz put up a very good year as a starter at AA, going 11-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 25 starts, with a 2.25-1 K-walk ratio. He was then brought up to the O's as a reliever and spot starter and didn't do so well. It seems like his future is as a reliever, and has to work on lingering command issues. 44)Tyler Colvin- LF- CHC
-The Cubs first round pick in 2006 didn't disappoint last year, batting .299 with 16 jacks and 81 RBI's between A and AA. His K's and OBP weren't good, but he stole 17 bases in 22 tries. He needs to be more patient at the plate though, and could be a late summer call-up if he starts off well.
43)Jeremy Jeffress- SP- MIL
-The 20 year old 2006 first rounder went 9-5 with a 3.13 ERA in Middle A, and held hitters to a .201 batting average against. His fastball approaches 100, and is working on a slider. He was suspended 50 games for drugs, and we'll see how he adjusts to that. He'll be back in June, ETA 2011.
42) Alcides Escobar- SS- MIL
-The 20 year is also a speedster with very good defense but only has a .331 OBP. Hit .306 between A and AA with 22 steals, didn't strike out too often, but didn't have many walks. ETA 2009.
41)Ian Stewart- 3B- COL
-Everyone knows Stewart has talent, but he's been hampered by injuries and he has nowhere to play for the Rockies. Atkins and Tulo aren't going anywhere. He put up good numbers in AAA, not so good in 35 games in the bigs. With Kaz Matsui unlikely to return, Stewart played some second base in the instructional league and that is perhaps his calling.
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Showing posts with label ChicagoCubs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ChicagoCubs. Show all posts
Monday, November 26, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
Awards, Detroit keeping up with the Jonses, a move that would change the free agent landscape, and much more today on ATM.
-Dustin Pedroia won the ALROY in a landslide win with 132 points. The Red Sox 2nd baseman batted .317 with a .380 OBP and was the catalyst in the postseason that allowed Boston to roll to a world title. Rays OF Delmon Young came in second, and surprise Royals starter Brian Bannister came in 3rd.
-Ryan Braun batted .324 with 34 jacks and 97 driven in, and that was all after May 25. Wow. He barely edged out Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki by 2 points to win the NLROY. Tulo set the rookie record for NL shorstops with 24 homers and also drove in 91. In any other year, Tulowitzki would have won it running away, but Braun had such amazing stats in such a short amount of time. The time may have been the determining factor, because Tulowitzki's fielding numbers were far superior.
-According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Tigers and Cubs alleviated problems in the Outfield with a trade this afternoon. The Tigers needed an outfielder and acquired Jacque Jones from Chicago in exchange for utility player Omar Infante. Jones will likely start in Left Field instead of a possible platoon of Marcus Thams and Ryan Rayburn. The Cubbies had a logjam in the outfield, and Infante will be someone good off the bench in a similar role that Mark DeRosa had with the team. Infante is a contact hitter who can play 2nd, 3rd, short, and the outfield. The trade filled needs for both clubs.
-Speaking of filling needs, the Tigers did that in a big way when they resigned closer Todd Jones to a 1 year deal worth 7 million. Jones became even more of a priority for GM Dave Dombrowski when young setup man Joel Zumaya went down with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for at least the first half of the 2008 season. Along with Fernando Rodney, Jones was a must resign for this team.
-Jorge Posada will likely reup with the Yankees, which leaves other teams in search of a catcher with little to rummage through. The Mets may have to resign Paul Lo Duca, or could go after Colorado backstop Yorvit Torrealba or Pirates Catcher Ronny Paulino.
-"When I spoke to Omar, he told me, `Be prepared to be the third baseman in 2008. That's what I took from it and that's the way I'm going about it." David Wright's statement today will likely quell A-Rod rumors for the time being.
-The free agent frenzy will begin at midnight tonight, expect the best coverage here at the SOS family of blogs.
-Dustin Pedroia won the ALROY in a landslide win with 132 points. The Red Sox 2nd baseman batted .317 with a .380 OBP and was the catalyst in the postseason that allowed Boston to roll to a world title. Rays OF Delmon Young came in second, and surprise Royals starter Brian Bannister came in 3rd.
-Ryan Braun batted .324 with 34 jacks and 97 driven in, and that was all after May 25. Wow. He barely edged out Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki by 2 points to win the NLROY. Tulo set the rookie record for NL shorstops with 24 homers and also drove in 91. In any other year, Tulowitzki would have won it running away, but Braun had such amazing stats in such a short amount of time. The time may have been the determining factor, because Tulowitzki's fielding numbers were far superior.
-According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Tigers and Cubs alleviated problems in the Outfield with a trade this afternoon. The Tigers needed an outfielder and acquired Jacque Jones from Chicago in exchange for utility player Omar Infante. Jones will likely start in Left Field instead of a possible platoon of Marcus Thams and Ryan Rayburn. The Cubbies had a logjam in the outfield, and Infante will be someone good off the bench in a similar role that Mark DeRosa had with the team. Infante is a contact hitter who can play 2nd, 3rd, short, and the outfield. The trade filled needs for both clubs.
-Speaking of filling needs, the Tigers did that in a big way when they resigned closer Todd Jones to a 1 year deal worth 7 million. Jones became even more of a priority for GM Dave Dombrowski when young setup man Joel Zumaya went down with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for at least the first half of the 2008 season. Along with Fernando Rodney, Jones was a must resign for this team.
-Jorge Posada will likely reup with the Yankees, which leaves other teams in search of a catcher with little to rummage through. The Mets may have to resign Paul Lo Duca, or could go after Colorado backstop Yorvit Torrealba or Pirates Catcher Ronny Paulino.
-"When I spoke to Omar, he told me, `Be prepared to be the third baseman in 2008. That's what I took from it and that's the way I'm going about it." David Wright's statement today will likely quell A-Rod rumors for the time being.
-The free agent frenzy will begin at midnight tonight, expect the best coverage here at the SOS family of blogs.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Around The Majors- Wednesday
A lot of little notes and rumors filling the big picture.
-ESPN's Jerry Crsanick is at the GM Meetings, and has said that the Angels are the front runners for A-Rod. The A's are the likely suitors for Barry Bonds.
-Angels OF Gary Matthews met with baseball officials about HGH allegations. If the hunt's taken out of the witch hunt, then it's just a witch isn't it?
-In the worst kept secret since Watergate, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the Braves are interested in Tom Glavine. Wow, that was hard to admit. I guess y'all can hold the novacane, it's done.
-The Rangers still owe 9 million over 3 years for A-Rod, just think of it as a greedy and self centered mortgage.
-Juan Uribe signed a 1 year, 4.5 million dollar contract with the White Sox.
-The Mets resigned Marlon Anderson for 2 years and decline the option for Jose Valentin.
-The Yankees, Indians, and White Sox among others are interested in Miguel Cabrera according to various sources.
-Jorge Posada wants a 4 year deal worth 60 million and Mariano Rivera wants 3 for 45 says the Bergen Record.
-Kenny Rogers will likely return to Detroit next year, according to the Detroit Free Press.
-The Dodgers and Phillies are interested in Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. (Philadelphia and LA Daily News)
-The Giants are close to resigning Omar Vizquel, says the San Francisco Chronicle.
-The Kansas City Star reports that the Royals are still interested in Jose Guillen despite the recent allegations.
-Andrew Mongelluzzi, the agent for Paul Lo Duca said that the Mets led him to believe that he's not the team's top catching priority. (NY Post)
-Many teams are asking the Rangers about Gerald Laird and Hank Blalock. (Dallas Morning News)
-The Tampa Tribune reports that the Rays are up for any offer, and the Twins are interested in Rocco Baldelli.
-The Cubs are interested in Kaz Matsui, says the Denver Post. Colorado is interested in Brett Tomko.
-The Red Sox could go with a six man rotation next season, according to the Boston Herald.
-ESPN's Jerry Crsanick is at the GM Meetings, and has said that the Angels are the front runners for A-Rod. The A's are the likely suitors for Barry Bonds.
-Angels OF Gary Matthews met with baseball officials about HGH allegations. If the hunt's taken out of the witch hunt, then it's just a witch isn't it?
-In the worst kept secret since Watergate, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the Braves are interested in Tom Glavine. Wow, that was hard to admit. I guess y'all can hold the novacane, it's done.
-The Rangers still owe 9 million over 3 years for A-Rod, just think of it as a greedy and self centered mortgage.
-Juan Uribe signed a 1 year, 4.5 million dollar contract with the White Sox.
-The Mets resigned Marlon Anderson for 2 years and decline the option for Jose Valentin.
-The Yankees, Indians, and White Sox among others are interested in Miguel Cabrera according to various sources.
-Jorge Posada wants a 4 year deal worth 60 million and Mariano Rivera wants 3 for 45 says the Bergen Record.
-Kenny Rogers will likely return to Detroit next year, according to the Detroit Free Press.
-The Dodgers and Phillies are interested in Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. (Philadelphia and LA Daily News)
-The Giants are close to resigning Omar Vizquel, says the San Francisco Chronicle.
-The Kansas City Star reports that the Royals are still interested in Jose Guillen despite the recent allegations.
-Andrew Mongelluzzi, the agent for Paul Lo Duca said that the Mets led him to believe that he's not the team's top catching priority. (NY Post)
-Many teams are asking the Rangers about Gerald Laird and Hank Blalock. (Dallas Morning News)
-The Tampa Tribune reports that the Rays are up for any offer, and the Twins are interested in Rocco Baldelli.
-The Cubs are interested in Kaz Matsui, says the Denver Post. Colorado is interested in Brett Tomko.
-The Red Sox could go with a six man rotation next season, according to the Boston Herald.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
SOS Baseball Sunday
A story of two leagues, one chock full of activity, the other completely devoid of it. And breaking news that could be a distraction to one of the teams competing tonight.
According to a story in today's San Francisco Chronicle, Indians pitcher Paul Byrd, who won game four for Cleveland and could end up pitching this evening in game 7 reportedly bought nearly $25,000 worth of human growth hormone and syringes from a Florida anti-aging clinic. The paper said Byrd spent $24,850 to buy more than 1,000 vials of growth hormone as well as hundreds of syringes. This could cause a distraction for the Indians, who play their biggest game in a decade tonight against Boston in game seven of the ALCS. The Red Sox seem loose and brimming with confidence as they got more runs off of the seemingly invincable Fausto Carmona than he got outs. JD Drew went from goat to glory with one swing, propelling Boston to a deciding game and sending the Fenway crows into a frenzy. Cleveland will send Jake Westbrook to the mound, the former Yankees prospect who has fared well this postseason. In my mind, the most pressure will be on Japanese rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka, who will start for all the marbles. Will his huge posting fee and contract be worth it for a franchise desperate to prove that 2004 was no fluke? Cleveland has gone from red hot to reeling, and the club that puts a run on the board first will have a decided advantage, and would immediately apply a great deal of pressure on the opposition.
From so much activity to not nearly enough, the NL Champion Colorado Rockies lurk in the shadows waiting for a World Series opponent. They considered going to their Spring Training facility in Tuscon to get practice in, but there's bad weather there. So for a few days last week, they had batting practice and simulated games, trying to keep up the intensity in front of 50,000 empty seats at Coors Field. But bad weather and a chance of snow have halted those simulated games. I find that weather hard to believe, given the 70 degree temperatures in the Northeast and near disastrous drought conditions in many parts of the southeast. But Aaron Cook threw a simulated game and could be good to go for the World Series roster. Rox GM Dan O'Dowd had a talk with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski on what to do with such a long layoff. It's admittedly tough from going to games with such high intensity to a week without any game action. The trends definitely play against Denver's Darlings, but that doesn't scare or frighten a team that have bucked every trend put before them the entire year at a historic clip. Go on ESPN.com and read a Jayson Stark article from lastn week that really shows how many things this club has had to overcome. This is just one more hurdle for Clint and co to jump over, and it seems that nothing is out of their grasps.
The Yankees will interview Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi, and Tony Pena for their managerial opening, and reporters are still camped outside of Joe Torre's house. That's absolutely absurd. Scott Boras said that where the other Yankee free agents go will greatly impact A-Rod's decision. At this point, I think that Boras is just trying to keep himself and his client in the news. I think I could work this situation out; I'll reroute the reporters to A-Rod and Boras so that Torre can have peace and Boras and A-Rod can have attention. That's why I'm king. Apparently Hank Steinbrenner has fired back at Torre, playing the opportunity card, saying that Joe's career was nothing before he was hired by the Yankees and that he wasn't trying to insult Torre with his offer.
Rumors
-The Yankees are prepared to make a big extension offer to Rodriguez, says the New York Post. Mike Lowell and Joe Crede would be other New York options.
-The Cubs would defnitely be interested in Mariano Rivera, at least for leverage purposes, according to Newsday.
-The Seattle Times reports that there's no chance that Lou Piniella would leave the Cubs to manage the Yankees.
-Larry Bowa has been offered the 3rd base coaching job in Seattle, according to the New York Times.
-The Phillies are looking to resign Tadahito Iguchi, and Pittsburgh has interviewed AAA manager John Russell for their opening. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
According to a story in today's San Francisco Chronicle, Indians pitcher Paul Byrd, who won game four for Cleveland and could end up pitching this evening in game 7 reportedly bought nearly $25,000 worth of human growth hormone and syringes from a Florida anti-aging clinic. The paper said Byrd spent $24,850 to buy more than 1,000 vials of growth hormone as well as hundreds of syringes. This could cause a distraction for the Indians, who play their biggest game in a decade tonight against Boston in game seven of the ALCS. The Red Sox seem loose and brimming with confidence as they got more runs off of the seemingly invincable Fausto Carmona than he got outs. JD Drew went from goat to glory with one swing, propelling Boston to a deciding game and sending the Fenway crows into a frenzy. Cleveland will send Jake Westbrook to the mound, the former Yankees prospect who has fared well this postseason. In my mind, the most pressure will be on Japanese rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka, who will start for all the marbles. Will his huge posting fee and contract be worth it for a franchise desperate to prove that 2004 was no fluke? Cleveland has gone from red hot to reeling, and the club that puts a run on the board first will have a decided advantage, and would immediately apply a great deal of pressure on the opposition.
From so much activity to not nearly enough, the NL Champion Colorado Rockies lurk in the shadows waiting for a World Series opponent. They considered going to their Spring Training facility in Tuscon to get practice in, but there's bad weather there. So for a few days last week, they had batting practice and simulated games, trying to keep up the intensity in front of 50,000 empty seats at Coors Field. But bad weather and a chance of snow have halted those simulated games. I find that weather hard to believe, given the 70 degree temperatures in the Northeast and near disastrous drought conditions in many parts of the southeast. But Aaron Cook threw a simulated game and could be good to go for the World Series roster. Rox GM Dan O'Dowd had a talk with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski on what to do with such a long layoff. It's admittedly tough from going to games with such high intensity to a week without any game action. The trends definitely play against Denver's Darlings, but that doesn't scare or frighten a team that have bucked every trend put before them the entire year at a historic clip. Go on ESPN.com and read a Jayson Stark article from lastn week that really shows how many things this club has had to overcome. This is just one more hurdle for Clint and co to jump over, and it seems that nothing is out of their grasps.
The Yankees will interview Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi, and Tony Pena for their managerial opening, and reporters are still camped outside of Joe Torre's house. That's absolutely absurd. Scott Boras said that where the other Yankee free agents go will greatly impact A-Rod's decision. At this point, I think that Boras is just trying to keep himself and his client in the news. I think I could work this situation out; I'll reroute the reporters to A-Rod and Boras so that Torre can have peace and Boras and A-Rod can have attention. That's why I'm king. Apparently Hank Steinbrenner has fired back at Torre, playing the opportunity card, saying that Joe's career was nothing before he was hired by the Yankees and that he wasn't trying to insult Torre with his offer.
Rumors
-The Yankees are prepared to make a big extension offer to Rodriguez, says the New York Post. Mike Lowell and Joe Crede would be other New York options.
-The Cubs would defnitely be interested in Mariano Rivera, at least for leverage purposes, according to Newsday.
-The Seattle Times reports that there's no chance that Lou Piniella would leave the Cubs to manage the Yankees.
-Larry Bowa has been offered the 3rd base coaching job in Seattle, according to the New York Times.
-The Phillies are looking to resign Tadahito Iguchi, and Pittsburgh has interviewed AAA manager John Russell for their opening. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Monday, October 8, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
One team advances, one team goes home, one team wants to put it away, and another wants to die another day. Scores, previews, news, and rumors today on ATM.
The Red Sox OWN the Angels, plain and simple. Curt Schilling put on yet another masterful performance as the Red Sox brought out the bats in a 7 run 8th, and brought out the brooms after a 9-1 win advanced them to the ALCS. They're getting good starting pitching, and Manny and Papi are en fuego, and this team is dangerous. But if the Yankees-Indians series keep going, how will that affect this club. Will it keep them well rested and hot, or will it ruin and slow their momentum?
Joe Torre had his job on the line, and the Yankees bats awoke from their slumber to the tune of an 8-4 win. Johnny Damon is emerging as an all time great postseason player, and Phil Hughes really picked up the slacked as Roger Clemens tweaked his hammy and couldn't get out of the 3rd inning. And there's no way in hell I'm going to go through memory lane talking about how it could be his last ever start. If I had a dollar for every "last Rocket start" I'd probably match his insane contract for this season. The Yankees will trot out Chien Ming Wang on 3 days rest tonight against Paul Byrd, game 4 is at 7:37pm on TBS or on ESPN Radio for all y'all on the go.
Of course the Torre rumor opened up dozens of articles of possible replacements, including Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi, and Tony LaRussa. Another name that may move from the Yankees is Alex Rodriguez, and the Cubs and Angels are chomping at the bit to bid for his services. I wouldn't say that A-Rod sweeps them off their feet, that job would belong to Arizona and Boston respectively. The Philadelphia Daily News listed the free agent CF's, and it was quite the impressive list. Jones, Hunter, Rowand, Cameron, and Japanese stud Kosuke Fukudome. If Rowand is likely to command Eric Byrnes lettuce (3/30) the upper echelon guys are in for a nice payday. In addition to Rowand, Kyle Lohse and JC Romero are among the Philly free agents. The Cubs could be looking to deal Jason Marquis, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Indians 3rd base coach Joel Skinner and AAA skipper Torey Lovullo are among the Pirates managerial candidates, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Pittsburgh Tribune Review adds Trent Jewitt, Bob Walk, Phil Garner, and Ken Macha to that list.
The Red Sox OWN the Angels, plain and simple. Curt Schilling put on yet another masterful performance as the Red Sox brought out the bats in a 7 run 8th, and brought out the brooms after a 9-1 win advanced them to the ALCS. They're getting good starting pitching, and Manny and Papi are en fuego, and this team is dangerous. But if the Yankees-Indians series keep going, how will that affect this club. Will it keep them well rested and hot, or will it ruin and slow their momentum?
Joe Torre had his job on the line, and the Yankees bats awoke from their slumber to the tune of an 8-4 win. Johnny Damon is emerging as an all time great postseason player, and Phil Hughes really picked up the slacked as Roger Clemens tweaked his hammy and couldn't get out of the 3rd inning. And there's no way in hell I'm going to go through memory lane talking about how it could be his last ever start. If I had a dollar for every "last Rocket start" I'd probably match his insane contract for this season. The Yankees will trot out Chien Ming Wang on 3 days rest tonight against Paul Byrd, game 4 is at 7:37pm on TBS or on ESPN Radio for all y'all on the go.
Of course the Torre rumor opened up dozens of articles of possible replacements, including Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi, and Tony LaRussa. Another name that may move from the Yankees is Alex Rodriguez, and the Cubs and Angels are chomping at the bit to bid for his services. I wouldn't say that A-Rod sweeps them off their feet, that job would belong to Arizona and Boston respectively. The Philadelphia Daily News listed the free agent CF's, and it was quite the impressive list. Jones, Hunter, Rowand, Cameron, and Japanese stud Kosuke Fukudome. If Rowand is likely to command Eric Byrnes lettuce (3/30) the upper echelon guys are in for a nice payday. In addition to Rowand, Kyle Lohse and JC Romero are among the Philly free agents. The Cubs could be looking to deal Jason Marquis, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Indians 3rd base coach Joel Skinner and AAA skipper Torey Lovullo are among the Pirates managerial candidates, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Pittsburgh Tribune Review adds Trent Jewitt, Bob Walk, Phil Garner, and Ken Macha to that list.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
D-back Shocker
In what seemed to be a series that favored the Cubs, the Arizona Diamondbacks totally outplayed the Cubbies in a 3 game sweep. The Diamondbacks lead by youngsters Stephen Drew and Chris Young will be playing in the NLCS against either the Rockies or Phillies. They showed all baseball fans, including myself, what they are capable of doing by beating the favorites to represent the National League in the World Series. If anyone told me before the season the Diamondbacks would make the playoffs, let alone advance to the NLCS, I would have laughed at him. I was wrong about the Diamondbacks, they are not an up and coming team, they are ready to win now. Congrats D-backs!!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Around The Majors- Wednesday
It's playoff time, and if Monday night's thriller is any indication of the October excitement we're gonna have, then it's gonna be a wild ride. The Mets won't be on this ride known as the postseason, but they will keep manager Willie Randolph but the rest of the coaching staff could be a different story. As heralded as Rick Peterson is, the staff faltered down the stretch and he could pay for it with his job. Another Met that was key to the collapse was Tom Glavine, he'll be declining his option for next season and rumors are already starting that he could head to either Washington or back to Atlanta. Speaking of the Braves, GM John Schuerholz has told CF Andruw Jones that they will not be resigning him, and he will head elsewhere. Jones batted a paltry .222 in 2007, his worst year since becoming a starting player 10 years ago, all spent with Atlanta. In managerial news, Jim Leyland had his contract extended by the Tigers until 2009, and Cards skipper Tony LaRussa will take some time to decide whether he'll return to the Cards in 2008. Carlos Pena and Dmitri Young were named the comeback players of the year, congrats to them and their terrible teams.
Division Series Notes
- The Red Sox will be without supersub postseason pitcher Tim Wakefield because of a back injury, and will carry a 3rd catcher in Kevin Cash instead. Jon Lester will be used in long relief. Their opponents the Angels will be without both Bartolo Colon and Gary Matthews Jr. Reggie Willits will be in CF and Erik Aybar replaces him on the LDS roster. Adam Eaton will be off the postseason roster for the Phillies after a 10-10 season with an ERA of 6.29. Hamels, Kendrick, Lohse, and Moyer will start for Philadelphia.
Divsion Series Picks
Angels vs Red Sox
The BoSox are banged up, but the Angels are a good matchup for them. John Lackey has to pitch at Fenway Park in game one, where he has a lifetime ERA of over 7. But if the Halos can manage a win in Boston, they could easily take the series with their MLB leading home record and some Rally Monkey mojo. The Angels will have to scratch and claw for every run they get, and their bullpen hasn't been that great as of late. Neither has Boston's pen, but a deeper staff will win them the series in 4.
Indians vs Yankees
Everyone is concentrating on A-Rod, but the pitching will have to do much more with the series. The Indians have a clear advantage over the Yankees in the starting staff, but if New York gets a lead after 6, the Joba Rules have been lifted and it's him and Mariano Rivera for the finish. Both lineups are really talented, but a psychological edge shouldn't be discounted. Not only do the Yanks have that experience factor, they're also 6-0 this year against the Tribe. But SOS, the Yankees never faced CC Sabathia? Cleveland never faced Chien Ming Wang, and Joe Borowski has been trouble this season. I'll take the Yankees in 5.
Diamondbacks vs Cubs
Both pitching staffs have been excellent this year, but the deciding factor could be keeping Carlos Zambrano away from the Wrigley mound. His road record is sensational, and he'll be throwing games 1 and 5 on the road in Phoenix. The depth in the starting staffs also go the Cubbies way, with Doug Davis and Livan Hernandez going after Brandon Webb. I think this will be the tightest series, with Chicago winning in 5.
Phillies vs Rockies
Both lineups are fantastic, and both clubs have incredible momentum. High octane baseball and lots of homers will be on the menu, but none of the Rockies have been there before. The Phillies bullpen has been terrible, but they have guys like Tom Gordon and JC Romero who have climbed the mountain before. But sometimes inexperienced power arms like the ones Colorado have in Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales could be the difference. This is really tough to call, so i flipped a coin and have the Rox in 5.
Division Series Notes
- The Red Sox will be without supersub postseason pitcher Tim Wakefield because of a back injury, and will carry a 3rd catcher in Kevin Cash instead. Jon Lester will be used in long relief. Their opponents the Angels will be without both Bartolo Colon and Gary Matthews Jr. Reggie Willits will be in CF and Erik Aybar replaces him on the LDS roster. Adam Eaton will be off the postseason roster for the Phillies after a 10-10 season with an ERA of 6.29. Hamels, Kendrick, Lohse, and Moyer will start for Philadelphia.
Divsion Series Picks
Angels vs Red Sox
The BoSox are banged up, but the Angels are a good matchup for them. John Lackey has to pitch at Fenway Park in game one, where he has a lifetime ERA of over 7. But if the Halos can manage a win in Boston, they could easily take the series with their MLB leading home record and some Rally Monkey mojo. The Angels will have to scratch and claw for every run they get, and their bullpen hasn't been that great as of late. Neither has Boston's pen, but a deeper staff will win them the series in 4.
Indians vs Yankees
Everyone is concentrating on A-Rod, but the pitching will have to do much more with the series. The Indians have a clear advantage over the Yankees in the starting staff, but if New York gets a lead after 6, the Joba Rules have been lifted and it's him and Mariano Rivera for the finish. Both lineups are really talented, but a psychological edge shouldn't be discounted. Not only do the Yanks have that experience factor, they're also 6-0 this year against the Tribe. But SOS, the Yankees never faced CC Sabathia? Cleveland never faced Chien Ming Wang, and Joe Borowski has been trouble this season. I'll take the Yankees in 5.
Diamondbacks vs Cubs
Both pitching staffs have been excellent this year, but the deciding factor could be keeping Carlos Zambrano away from the Wrigley mound. His road record is sensational, and he'll be throwing games 1 and 5 on the road in Phoenix. The depth in the starting staffs also go the Cubbies way, with Doug Davis and Livan Hernandez going after Brandon Webb. I think this will be the tightest series, with Chicago winning in 5.
Phillies vs Rockies
Both lineups are fantastic, and both clubs have incredible momentum. High octane baseball and lots of homers will be on the menu, but none of the Rockies have been there before. The Phillies bullpen has been terrible, but they have guys like Tom Gordon and JC Romero who have climbed the mountain before. But sometimes inexperienced power arms like the ones Colorado have in Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales could be the difference. This is really tough to call, so i flipped a coin and have the Rox in 5.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Playoff Picks
Colorado Rockies v. Philadelphia Phillies
This series will go to the team that out slugs the other team. The Rockies have a strong lineup lead by MVP candidate Matt Holliday, veterans Todd Helton and Garrett Atkins, and rookie Troy Tulowitzki. They are a great defensive ball club, and have an extremely good bullpen. The Phillies also have one of the best lineups in the National League. Their leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins is a game changer, while Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are just lethal to any pitcher they face. Both teams weakness lies in their starting pitchers. While the Phillies do have the advantage with Cole Hamels in game one, I wouldn't trust the likes of Mark Redmand (Rockies) and Kyle Lohse (Phillies). The Rockies bullpen has a shot at neutralizing the Phillies lineup, but the Phillies bullpen have been terrible against anybody but the Mets this year. I'm taking the Rockies, because they will beat up on any pitcher not named Cole Hamels and I don't like Brett Myers in a big spot. Rockies in 5
Chicago Cubs v. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Cubs have a significant advantage going into this series. To simply put it they have a lot of players on their roster who have been to the playoffs before, while the Diamondbacks are very young and inexperienced. If Brandon Webb doesn't win game 1 for the D'backs, it will be very hard for them to win the series. This will be a good learning experience for the Diamondbacks and I expect to see them in the playoffs for years to come, but the Cubs will ultimately win this series. Cubs in 4
Los Angeles Angels v. Boston Red Sox
This should be a very competitive series, because both teams have great pitching. The Angels showcase John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, while the Red Sox send out 20 game winner Josh Beckett and Dice-K. Both teams also have very good bullpens anchored by 2002 playoff hero Francisco Rodriguez, and Boston sensation Jonathan Papelbon. The difference will be the in the lineups. The Angels do have a good lineup, but they lack the power that the Red Sox have. I'll take David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez over Vlad Guerrero and Garrett Anderson.
Red Sox in 4
New York Yankees v. Cleveland Indians
It is make or break time for A-Rod and the Yankees as the face CY Young favorite C.C. Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees will need Chien-Ming Wang to be spectacular in game 1 when he and the Yankees face Sabathia. If the Yankees fail to win game 1, you have to like the Indians chances with Fausto Carmona facing Any Pettitte. On the other hand, if A-rod hits like the MVP he was in the regular season, the Yankees will win the series. Since A-rod is in his contract year (well sort of), I think their is a little extra incentive for him to do well and lead the Yankees to the ALCS.
Yankees in 5.
This series will go to the team that out slugs the other team. The Rockies have a strong lineup lead by MVP candidate Matt Holliday, veterans Todd Helton and Garrett Atkins, and rookie Troy Tulowitzki. They are a great defensive ball club, and have an extremely good bullpen. The Phillies also have one of the best lineups in the National League. Their leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins is a game changer, while Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are just lethal to any pitcher they face. Both teams weakness lies in their starting pitchers. While the Phillies do have the advantage with Cole Hamels in game one, I wouldn't trust the likes of Mark Redmand (Rockies) and Kyle Lohse (Phillies). The Rockies bullpen has a shot at neutralizing the Phillies lineup, but the Phillies bullpen have been terrible against anybody but the Mets this year. I'm taking the Rockies, because they will beat up on any pitcher not named Cole Hamels and I don't like Brett Myers in a big spot. Rockies in 5
Chicago Cubs v. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Cubs have a significant advantage going into this series. To simply put it they have a lot of players on their roster who have been to the playoffs before, while the Diamondbacks are very young and inexperienced. If Brandon Webb doesn't win game 1 for the D'backs, it will be very hard for them to win the series. This will be a good learning experience for the Diamondbacks and I expect to see them in the playoffs for years to come, but the Cubs will ultimately win this series. Cubs in 4
Los Angeles Angels v. Boston Red Sox
This should be a very competitive series, because both teams have great pitching. The Angels showcase John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, while the Red Sox send out 20 game winner Josh Beckett and Dice-K. Both teams also have very good bullpens anchored by 2002 playoff hero Francisco Rodriguez, and Boston sensation Jonathan Papelbon. The difference will be the in the lineups. The Angels do have a good lineup, but they lack the power that the Red Sox have. I'll take David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez over Vlad Guerrero and Garrett Anderson.
Red Sox in 4
New York Yankees v. Cleveland Indians
It is make or break time for A-Rod and the Yankees as the face CY Young favorite C.C. Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees will need Chien-Ming Wang to be spectacular in game 1 when he and the Yankees face Sabathia. If the Yankees fail to win game 1, you have to like the Indians chances with Fausto Carmona facing Any Pettitte. On the other hand, if A-rod hits like the MVP he was in the regular season, the Yankees will win the series. Since A-rod is in his contract year (well sort of), I think their is a little extra incentive for him to do well and lead the Yankees to the ALCS.
Yankees in 5.
A-Train Express- Sports Stop
This may be the only night without major sports going for a while but there is still sports brewing on the A-Train Express. First stop is the NFL:
- Brett Favre. This record breaking QB is throwing bombs and the b-e-autiful slant pattern. I'm telling you, if he shed a few pounds and lost the beard i might have thought he was in his twenties. And did you see the way that kid ran down the field to congratulate himself, and his receiver of course. The guy looks like a kid who just beat up the bully in school. Way to excited, but it is nice to see. Too bad a man named Peyton is going to shatter all of the records you could imagine.
- Daunte Culpepper is the man. He now not only can throw touchdown passes but he could run for them too. Three of them to be exact. We all knew he had some wheels but he was rolling like the road runner's legs. I think he had 31 fantasy points. This is guy who doesn't have anyone named Randy or Chris anymore. Now that's impressive. Look out the Raiders are winning!
- I don't like Tom Brady so much but he is immune to defensive pressure. Its flat out unreal. I hate the fact that he has four (not including the two tight ends) receivers who can catch. I hate the fact that he had the most completions in his first 100 passes than anyone ever. I hate the fact that he's like a model and that he's considered a celebrity. And most importantly, i hate the look on his face after he got hit against the Bengals. It was like, "I'm Tom Brady, I'm to pretty to get hit, and that not in my contract, I want a bonus for this." He is so damn good though and Randy Moss has 7 TD receptions so while the Pats are going 16-0, I just kick back relax and enjoy the Jets.
-Next Stop MLB Playoffs:
Predictions:
NL: Cubs over D-Backs- 4 games
Rockies over Phillies- 5 games
Cubs over Rockies- 6 games
AL: Indians over Yankees- 5 games
Red Sox over Angels- 4 games
Indians over Red Sox- 7 games
Word Series:
Indians over Cubs- 5 games
WS MVP- Grady Sizemore
NL MVP: Matt Holliday
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy
AL Cy Young: Josh Beckett
NL ROY: Ryan Braun
AL ROY: Dustin Pedroia
- Thats all for now, till next time, eat, drink and sleep sports.
- Brett Favre. This record breaking QB is throwing bombs and the b-e-autiful slant pattern. I'm telling you, if he shed a few pounds and lost the beard i might have thought he was in his twenties. And did you see the way that kid ran down the field to congratulate himself, and his receiver of course. The guy looks like a kid who just beat up the bully in school. Way to excited, but it is nice to see. Too bad a man named Peyton is going to shatter all of the records you could imagine.
- Daunte Culpepper is the man. He now not only can throw touchdown passes but he could run for them too. Three of them to be exact. We all knew he had some wheels but he was rolling like the road runner's legs. I think he had 31 fantasy points. This is guy who doesn't have anyone named Randy or Chris anymore. Now that's impressive. Look out the Raiders are winning!
- I don't like Tom Brady so much but he is immune to defensive pressure. Its flat out unreal. I hate the fact that he has four (not including the two tight ends) receivers who can catch. I hate the fact that he had the most completions in his first 100 passes than anyone ever. I hate the fact that he's like a model and that he's considered a celebrity. And most importantly, i hate the look on his face after he got hit against the Bengals. It was like, "I'm Tom Brady, I'm to pretty to get hit, and that not in my contract, I want a bonus for this." He is so damn good though and Randy Moss has 7 TD receptions so while the Pats are going 16-0, I just kick back relax and enjoy the Jets.
-Next Stop MLB Playoffs:
Predictions:
NL: Cubs over D-Backs- 4 games
Rockies over Phillies- 5 games
Cubs over Rockies- 6 games
AL: Indians over Yankees- 5 games
Red Sox over Angels- 4 games
Indians over Red Sox- 7 games
Word Series:
Indians over Cubs- 5 games
WS MVP- Grady Sizemore
NL MVP: Matt Holliday
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy
AL Cy Young: Josh Beckett
NL ROY: Ryan Braun
AL ROY: Dustin Pedroia
- Thats all for now, till next time, eat, drink and sleep sports.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday Express
Not a lot of time, so let's jetset.
Game Action
Cleveland lost 4-3 to KC, their AL Central lead is 4.5 over Detroit who beat Minnesota. They meet tonight Rogers against Byrd. The Tigers are 2.5 back of the Yankees for the AL Wild Card, they got a 3 run jack from Derek Jeter to take 2 of 3 from Boston 4-3. New York is 4.5 behind the Red Sox, they send Phil Hughes to the hill in Baltimore against Daniel Cabrera, they beat Toronto 8-6 in 10. The Jays send Dustin McGowan against Boston and Tim Wakefield. Jim Thome hit his 500th career homer, a walkoff to lead the White Sox over the Angels 9-7. Volquez and Slowey duel in Minnesota, Texas got 7 RBI's from Michael Young in an 11-9 win over Oakland. 17 game winner Kelvim Escobar goes tonight against Tampa who beat Seattle 9-2.
The Phillies have won 8 straight against the Mets including a 10-6 win over New York where the Mets committed 6 errors and walked 11 batters. The Phils are 3.5 back, and they send Kyle Kendrick on the mound in St Louis, the Mets are in Washington. The Nats got shut out by Tim Hudson and the Braves 3-0, they pitch John Smoltz at home against BK Kim and Florida. The Fish got fried 13-0 against the Rockies, Todd Helton hit career homer 300. The Cubs topped St Louis 4-2, they play Cincy who beat Milwaukee to give Chicago a 1 game lead in the NL Central. Milwaukee pitches Yovani Gallardo in Houston. The Giants lost to now 18 game winner Jake Peavy and the Padres 5-1, Frisco faces Brandon Webb and Arizona. The Snakes beat the Dodgers 6-1 and own a 2 game division lead.
Transactions
The Indians recalled Jeremy Sowers, Washington claimed Enrique Gonzalez off of waivers.
Less than 2 weeks left, enjoy the games.
Game Action
Cleveland lost 4-3 to KC, their AL Central lead is 4.5 over Detroit who beat Minnesota. They meet tonight Rogers against Byrd. The Tigers are 2.5 back of the Yankees for the AL Wild Card, they got a 3 run jack from Derek Jeter to take 2 of 3 from Boston 4-3. New York is 4.5 behind the Red Sox, they send Phil Hughes to the hill in Baltimore against Daniel Cabrera, they beat Toronto 8-6 in 10. The Jays send Dustin McGowan against Boston and Tim Wakefield. Jim Thome hit his 500th career homer, a walkoff to lead the White Sox over the Angels 9-7. Volquez and Slowey duel in Minnesota, Texas got 7 RBI's from Michael Young in an 11-9 win over Oakland. 17 game winner Kelvim Escobar goes tonight against Tampa who beat Seattle 9-2.
The Phillies have won 8 straight against the Mets including a 10-6 win over New York where the Mets committed 6 errors and walked 11 batters. The Phils are 3.5 back, and they send Kyle Kendrick on the mound in St Louis, the Mets are in Washington. The Nats got shut out by Tim Hudson and the Braves 3-0, they pitch John Smoltz at home against BK Kim and Florida. The Fish got fried 13-0 against the Rockies, Todd Helton hit career homer 300. The Cubs topped St Louis 4-2, they play Cincy who beat Milwaukee to give Chicago a 1 game lead in the NL Central. Milwaukee pitches Yovani Gallardo in Houston. The Giants lost to now 18 game winner Jake Peavy and the Padres 5-1, Frisco faces Brandon Webb and Arizona. The Snakes beat the Dodgers 6-1 and own a 2 game division lead.
Transactions
The Indians recalled Jeremy Sowers, Washington claimed Enrique Gonzalez off of waivers.
Less than 2 weeks left, enjoy the games.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
I'll get back to football on the main blog tomorrow, but let's not forget that we're in the middle of a pennant race! Lots to talk about including yesterday's games, the standings, some news and notes, and a look at what's on tap for today.
Sunday Recap
Seattle scored 13 runs in the first 4 innings in a 14-7 drubbing of Detroit. Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman got lit, and will likely be shut down for the rest of the season with elbow problems. Adrian Beltre drove in 4 for the M's. Josh Beckett won his 18th and Mike Lowell drove in 2 as Boston edged Baltimore 3-2. Jaime Shields pitched 7 strong innings as the Rays edged the Jays 3-2. Jason Kubel homered and drove in 4 and Johan Santana struck out 10 in Minnesota's 5-2 win over the White Sox. Chien Ming Wang won his 18th as the Yankees swept the Royals 6-3. A-Rod homered again, his 52nd and Jorge Posada drove in 2 for New York. Sammy Sosa homered and drove in 4 as Texas slugged out Oakland 12-9. Cleveland scored 5 in the 4th off of Jered Weaver to beat the Angels 6-2. Ryan Garko drove in 3 for the Tribe.
D'Angelo Jimenez and Ryan Church each drove in 3 as Washington beat the Braves 7-4. Pedro Martinez pitched 5 scorless innings in the win as the Mets swept Houston 4-1. Beltran and Alou each drove in 2. Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun each hit 2 homers as the Brewers romped past the Reds 10-5. Pat Burrell homered and drove in 3 as Philadelphia scored 5 in the first off of Dontrelle Willis to fry the Fish 8-5. Freddy Sanchez drove in 4 as Pittsburgh crushed the Cubs 10-5. Garrett Atkins hit a 2 run homer in the first as Colorado beat San Diego 4-2. Ray Durham hit a pinch hit 3 run homer off of Joe Beimel in the 8th as the Giants bested the Dodgers 4-2. Clark, Young, and Upton each drove in 2 as Arizona edged St Louis 6-5.
News and Notes
- Curtis Granderson yesterday became just the 3rd player in history to join the 20-20-20-20 club. That'd be homers, triples, doubles, and steals. Impressive, no? He's the first to do it since Willie Mays 50 years ago.
- Ankiel, Glaus, and now Gibbons? SI.com reported that Gibbons received steroids and HGH from the Florida pharmacy that supplied the 2 player mentioned last week. Keep it here for the latest.
- Baltimore got Victor Zambrano from Pittsburgh and placed Erik Bedard on the 60 day DL. Pedro Lopez, Bartolo Colon, Claudio Vargas, and Marcus Giles were all activated yesterday.
Standings
Boston and New York have each won 7 of 10, and the Yanks have won 5 straight to get to 5.5 back in the AL East. Baltimore have lost 7 of 10 while Tampa has won 7 of 10. Cleveland has won 7 of 10 and own a 6 game lead over Detroit in the AL Central. Minnesota and KC have lost 7 of 10 and the Royals have dropped 5 straight. Seattle have lost 8 of 10 and are now 8 games behind the Angels in the AL West. Texas has won 5 straight and 8 of 10. The Mets have won 8 of 10 and leads Philly by 6 in the NL East. Florida has won 7 of 10. Milwaukee has won 7 of 10 to take a 1 game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. The Cardinals have dropped 3 in a row to go 3 games back. The Reds and Astros have both lost 7 of 10. Arizona has won 5 in a row and 7 of 10 to open up a 3 game lead in the NL West over San Diego. The Dodgers are 5.5 back and Colorado is 6 back. The Rox have won 7 of 10. The Yankees lead the Tigers by 4 and the Mariners by 5 for the AL Wild Card. San Diego leads Philadelphia by 2, the Dodgers by 2.5, Colorado by 3, Atlanta by 4.5, and the Cubs by 5 for the NL Wild Card.
Monday On Tap
Big time makeup game at Wrigley as Ted Lilly and the Cubs host Joel Piniero and the Cardinals at 3:20. Kazmir faces Schilling in Boston, Halladay faces Rogers, and Jimenez faces Lohse in Philly in a game between 2 teams fighting for their lives. Fausto Carmona pitches in Chicago, Blanton faces Horacio Ramirez in Seattle, Hudson faces Perez in New York, and Hernandez faces Lincecum in Frisco.
Sunday Recap
Seattle scored 13 runs in the first 4 innings in a 14-7 drubbing of Detroit. Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman got lit, and will likely be shut down for the rest of the season with elbow problems. Adrian Beltre drove in 4 for the M's. Josh Beckett won his 18th and Mike Lowell drove in 2 as Boston edged Baltimore 3-2. Jaime Shields pitched 7 strong innings as the Rays edged the Jays 3-2. Jason Kubel homered and drove in 4 and Johan Santana struck out 10 in Minnesota's 5-2 win over the White Sox. Chien Ming Wang won his 18th as the Yankees swept the Royals 6-3. A-Rod homered again, his 52nd and Jorge Posada drove in 2 for New York. Sammy Sosa homered and drove in 4 as Texas slugged out Oakland 12-9. Cleveland scored 5 in the 4th off of Jered Weaver to beat the Angels 6-2. Ryan Garko drove in 3 for the Tribe.
D'Angelo Jimenez and Ryan Church each drove in 3 as Washington beat the Braves 7-4. Pedro Martinez pitched 5 scorless innings in the win as the Mets swept Houston 4-1. Beltran and Alou each drove in 2. Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun each hit 2 homers as the Brewers romped past the Reds 10-5. Pat Burrell homered and drove in 3 as Philadelphia scored 5 in the first off of Dontrelle Willis to fry the Fish 8-5. Freddy Sanchez drove in 4 as Pittsburgh crushed the Cubs 10-5. Garrett Atkins hit a 2 run homer in the first as Colorado beat San Diego 4-2. Ray Durham hit a pinch hit 3 run homer off of Joe Beimel in the 8th as the Giants bested the Dodgers 4-2. Clark, Young, and Upton each drove in 2 as Arizona edged St Louis 6-5.
News and Notes
- Curtis Granderson yesterday became just the 3rd player in history to join the 20-20-20-20 club. That'd be homers, triples, doubles, and steals. Impressive, no? He's the first to do it since Willie Mays 50 years ago.
- Ankiel, Glaus, and now Gibbons? SI.com reported that Gibbons received steroids and HGH from the Florida pharmacy that supplied the 2 player mentioned last week. Keep it here for the latest.
- Baltimore got Victor Zambrano from Pittsburgh and placed Erik Bedard on the 60 day DL. Pedro Lopez, Bartolo Colon, Claudio Vargas, and Marcus Giles were all activated yesterday.
Standings
Boston and New York have each won 7 of 10, and the Yanks have won 5 straight to get to 5.5 back in the AL East. Baltimore have lost 7 of 10 while Tampa has won 7 of 10. Cleveland has won 7 of 10 and own a 6 game lead over Detroit in the AL Central. Minnesota and KC have lost 7 of 10 and the Royals have dropped 5 straight. Seattle have lost 8 of 10 and are now 8 games behind the Angels in the AL West. Texas has won 5 straight and 8 of 10. The Mets have won 8 of 10 and leads Philly by 6 in the NL East. Florida has won 7 of 10. Milwaukee has won 7 of 10 to take a 1 game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. The Cardinals have dropped 3 in a row to go 3 games back. The Reds and Astros have both lost 7 of 10. Arizona has won 5 in a row and 7 of 10 to open up a 3 game lead in the NL West over San Diego. The Dodgers are 5.5 back and Colorado is 6 back. The Rox have won 7 of 10. The Yankees lead the Tigers by 4 and the Mariners by 5 for the AL Wild Card. San Diego leads Philadelphia by 2, the Dodgers by 2.5, Colorado by 3, Atlanta by 4.5, and the Cubs by 5 for the NL Wild Card.
Monday On Tap
Big time makeup game at Wrigley as Ted Lilly and the Cubs host Joel Piniero and the Cardinals at 3:20. Kazmir faces Schilling in Boston, Halladay faces Rogers, and Jimenez faces Lohse in Philly in a game between 2 teams fighting for their lives. Fausto Carmona pitches in Chicago, Blanton faces Horacio Ramirez in Seattle, Hudson faces Perez in New York, and Hernandez faces Lincecum in Frisco.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
Happy Labor Day everyone! It's time for that last trip to the beach, that last chance to fire up the grill, and a great opportunity to kick back with a cold one and watch some big matches in all the pennant races. But before I tell you what's on tap for today, I'll take a look at the standings and how the pennant races are taking shape.
Standings
Boston has a 6 game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. Toronto has won 7 of 10 to be respectable. Cleveland has won 8 of 10 and leads Detroit by 5.5 in the AL Central. Seattle has dropped 9 in a row and trail the Angels by 6.5 in the AL West. Atlanta has lost 7 of 10 and are now 7.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East. Philadelphia is 4 out in the race. The Cubs are 1.5 ahead of Milwaukee and 2 clear of St Louis in the NL Central. The Padres and Diamondbacks are 4 games ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West. The Yankees are 2 games clear of Seattle for the AL Wild Card and 3 ahead of Detroit. The Padres/D-Backs are 3 ahead of the Phillies, 4 ahead of the Dodgers, and 5 ahead of Colorado in the NL Wild Card race.
Monday On Tap
Huge series starts in The Bronx as Roger Clemens take on King Felix Hernandez and the Mariners. Philly and Atlanta begin an elimination series in the NL East with Jaime Moyer going for the Phils. Sabathia and Santana lock up in a Labor Day Duel, and Pedro Martinez makes his first start after rotator cuff surgery for the Mets as they face the tough Aaron Harang and the Reds. Dice-K Matuszaka faces Toronto up North, and James Shields faces Baltimore. Oswalt and Sheets match up in Milwaukee, Cain and Francis in Denver, Esteban Loaiza goes for the Dodgers against Carlos Zambrano, and Maddux faces Owings in Phoenix. Gaudin faces Ervin Santana in LA.
Standings
Boston has a 6 game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. Toronto has won 7 of 10 to be respectable. Cleveland has won 8 of 10 and leads Detroit by 5.5 in the AL Central. Seattle has dropped 9 in a row and trail the Angels by 6.5 in the AL West. Atlanta has lost 7 of 10 and are now 7.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East. Philadelphia is 4 out in the race. The Cubs are 1.5 ahead of Milwaukee and 2 clear of St Louis in the NL Central. The Padres and Diamondbacks are 4 games ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West. The Yankees are 2 games clear of Seattle for the AL Wild Card and 3 ahead of Detroit. The Padres/D-Backs are 3 ahead of the Phillies, 4 ahead of the Dodgers, and 5 ahead of Colorado in the NL Wild Card race.
Monday On Tap
Huge series starts in The Bronx as Roger Clemens take on King Felix Hernandez and the Mariners. Philly and Atlanta begin an elimination series in the NL East with Jaime Moyer going for the Phils. Sabathia and Santana lock up in a Labor Day Duel, and Pedro Martinez makes his first start after rotator cuff surgery for the Mets as they face the tough Aaron Harang and the Reds. Dice-K Matuszaka faces Toronto up North, and James Shields faces Baltimore. Oswalt and Sheets match up in Milwaukee, Cain and Francis in Denver, Esteban Loaiza goes for the Dodgers against Carlos Zambrano, and Maddux faces Owings in Phoenix. Gaudin faces Ervin Santana in LA.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Around The Majors- Friday
The hour is late, so I'll just preview the weekend and tell you that the Cubs acquired Steve Trachsel from the Orioles in exchange for Pitcher Rocky Cherry and IF Scott Moore. The Cardinals got a bench player in Russell Branyan from the Phillies for a PTBNL.
Friday
Already today, in the first of a day/doubleheader Ross Gload drove in 3 as the Royals took out the Twins 9-4. Also Hunter Pence homered twice and drove in 5 as the Astros crushed the Cubs 6-1. Wandy Rodriguez threw six shutout innings for Houston.
Tonight, Boston sends 16 game winner Tim Wakefield to get out of their losing ways against Orioles prospect Radhames Liz. Cleveland looks to stay hot as the send Fausto Carmona to the hill against Mark Buehrle and the White Sox. Hughes and Sonnanstine are two youngsters going at it in The Bronx, and Seattle looks to break their 6 game skid when they pitch Jarrod Washburn against Jays starter Shawn Marcum. Meche and Baker finish the twinbill, Saunders faces the Rangers, and the Tigers have to combat Joe Blanton and the A's.
Brian Kendrick leads the red hot Phillies into battle against Sergio Mitre and Florida. Maine and Hudson open up a huge series in Atlanta, and Yovani Gallardo looks to keep the Brewers in the race as the play the Pirates. Anthony Reyes goes for the Cardinals against the Reds, Livan Hernandez faces Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies, and David Wells comes back to Petco as the Dodgers open up a huge set against San Diego.
Saturday
Ian Kennedy makes his ML debut against Tampa Bay and Jason Marquis and the Cubs face Houston.Batista and McGowan go in Toronto. Today's 4pm FOX games include the Mets taking on Chuck James and Atlanta, Kelvim Escobar and the Angels going up against the debut of Edinson Volquez, and a great Verlander-Haren duel in Oakland. Great young matchup in Boston as Garrett Olson faces Clay Buchholz. Vazquez faces Byrd in Cleveland, and Lowe faces Peavy at 10pm regional on FOX.
Sunday
Jake Westbrook has been hot as of late, he faces Jose Contreras and the White Sox. Pettitte battles the Rays, Weaver faces Burnett in Toronto, and Jon Lester returns to battle Daniel Cabrera and Baltimore. Robertson faces Gaudin in Oakland, and John Lackey battles Texas (8pm ESPN2) Glavine and Smoltz face off in Atlanta, Hamles goes in Miami, Gorzelanny faces Suppan, and Rich Hill faces the Astros. Billingsley and Germano go in San Diego, and Brandon Webb goes against Colorado.
Friday
Already today, in the first of a day/doubleheader Ross Gload drove in 3 as the Royals took out the Twins 9-4. Also Hunter Pence homered twice and drove in 5 as the Astros crushed the Cubs 6-1. Wandy Rodriguez threw six shutout innings for Houston.
Tonight, Boston sends 16 game winner Tim Wakefield to get out of their losing ways against Orioles prospect Radhames Liz. Cleveland looks to stay hot as the send Fausto Carmona to the hill against Mark Buehrle and the White Sox. Hughes and Sonnanstine are two youngsters going at it in The Bronx, and Seattle looks to break their 6 game skid when they pitch Jarrod Washburn against Jays starter Shawn Marcum. Meche and Baker finish the twinbill, Saunders faces the Rangers, and the Tigers have to combat Joe Blanton and the A's.
Brian Kendrick leads the red hot Phillies into battle against Sergio Mitre and Florida. Maine and Hudson open up a huge series in Atlanta, and Yovani Gallardo looks to keep the Brewers in the race as the play the Pirates. Anthony Reyes goes for the Cardinals against the Reds, Livan Hernandez faces Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies, and David Wells comes back to Petco as the Dodgers open up a huge set against San Diego.
Saturday
Ian Kennedy makes his ML debut against Tampa Bay and Jason Marquis and the Cubs face Houston.Batista and McGowan go in Toronto. Today's 4pm FOX games include the Mets taking on Chuck James and Atlanta, Kelvim Escobar and the Angels going up against the debut of Edinson Volquez, and a great Verlander-Haren duel in Oakland. Great young matchup in Boston as Garrett Olson faces Clay Buchholz. Vazquez faces Byrd in Cleveland, and Lowe faces Peavy at 10pm regional on FOX.
Sunday
Jake Westbrook has been hot as of late, he faces Jose Contreras and the White Sox. Pettitte battles the Rays, Weaver faces Burnett in Toronto, and Jon Lester returns to battle Daniel Cabrera and Baltimore. Robertson faces Gaudin in Oakland, and John Lackey battles Texas (8pm ESPN2) Glavine and Smoltz face off in Atlanta, Hamles goes in Miami, Gorzelanny faces Suppan, and Rich Hill faces the Astros. Billingsley and Germano go in San Diego, and Brandon Webb goes against Colorado.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Around The Majors- Wednesday
I'll recap yesterday's games, go through the news and notes, tell y'all what's up today, and get you inside one of the nicest big league parks with staff writer Adam Ehrenreich.
Tuesday Recap
Tampa Bay scored 11 runs in the 8th inning to beat Baltimore 15-8. Carl Crawford and Akinori Iwamura each drove in 3 for the Rays. Travis Hafner homered and drove in two as Cleveland edged Minnesota 6-5. Torii Hunter drove in 2 for the Twins. Johnny Damon hit a 2 run homer off of Daisuke Matsuzaka in the 7th to lead the Yankees past the Red Sox 5-3. Alex Gordon drove in 3 as the Royals tamed the Tigers 6-3. Texas edged the White Sox 4-3, and Toronto got 3 in the 8th to beat Oakland 5-4. The Angels scored 4 in the 8th and beat Seattle 10-6, behind 4 hits and 3 RBI's from Vladdy Guerrero.
Freddy Sanchez homered and drove in 5 as the Pirates bested the Reds 6-4. Ryan Howard hit a 2 run homer off of Guillermo Mota in the 10th inning to lead the Phillies over the Mets 4-2. Carlos Delgado accounted for the Met runs. A sac fly by Alejandro de Aza in the 11th lifted Florida past Atlanta 4-3. Jeremy Hermida drove in 2 for the Fish. The Cubs scored 4 in the 7th to best the Brewers 5-3. Jacque Jones drove in 2 for the Cubbies. Braden Looper threw 7 shutout innings and Chris Duncan drove in 4 as the Cardinals shut out the Astros 7-0. In game 2, and Adam LaRoche single in the 8th led the Pirates past the Reds 4-3. San Diego scored 6 runs off of Brandon Webb and beat the Diamondbacks 6-4. Khalil Greene and Josh Bard each drove in 2 for the Pads. Shea Hillenbrand drove in 2 as the Dodgers nipped the Nats 4-3. The Giants got 2 RBI's from Randy Winn in a 3-1 win over Colorado.
News and Notes
- Mike Mussina will be skipped in his next turn in the rotation, being replaced with highly touted prospect Ian Kennedy. He'll start Saturday against Tampa. It may be the beginning of the end to a storied Mussina career that borders on HOF but will probably fall just short.
- Ben Sheets was activated from the DL and will start tonight in a huge game against the Cubs. Milwaukke has fallen into 3rd place in the NL Central.
- Esteban Loaiza was claimed off of waivers by the Dodgers, as they try to shore up an injured and ineffective rotation. Alex Cintron was placed on the restricted list.
Wednesday On Tap
Today, Jeff Francis threw a complete game six hit shutout as the Rockies rocked the Giants 8-0. Garrett Atkins homered twice and drove in 4 for Colorado. Toronto-Oakland and Washington-Los Angeles have both gone into extra frames, and the Angels are holding a late inning lead over Seattle.
At 7 on ESPN2, Roger Clemens opposes Josh Beckett in The Bronx as the Yankees and Red Sox do battle. Rays and O's go at 7 with James Shields taking the hill for Tampa. It's Santana and Sabathia as the Twins and Indians tussle. Miller and Greinke go in a critical series for the Tigers, and Garland faces Loe deep in the heart of Texas.
Philadelphia wants to stay in the NL East race and send Jaime Moyer to the mound against Oliver Perez of the Mets. Harang and Snell go in Pittsburgh, and the Braves send Buddy Carlyle against the Marlins and Dontrelle Willis. Huge game in the NLC as Ben Sheets returns opposite Carlos Zambrano and the Cubbies. St Louis sends Kip Wells to Houston against Roy Oswalt, and Micah Owings and Greg Maddux duel at Petco.
Tuesday Recap
Tampa Bay scored 11 runs in the 8th inning to beat Baltimore 15-8. Carl Crawford and Akinori Iwamura each drove in 3 for the Rays. Travis Hafner homered and drove in two as Cleveland edged Minnesota 6-5. Torii Hunter drove in 2 for the Twins. Johnny Damon hit a 2 run homer off of Daisuke Matsuzaka in the 7th to lead the Yankees past the Red Sox 5-3. Alex Gordon drove in 3 as the Royals tamed the Tigers 6-3. Texas edged the White Sox 4-3, and Toronto got 3 in the 8th to beat Oakland 5-4. The Angels scored 4 in the 8th and beat Seattle 10-6, behind 4 hits and 3 RBI's from Vladdy Guerrero.
Freddy Sanchez homered and drove in 5 as the Pirates bested the Reds 6-4. Ryan Howard hit a 2 run homer off of Guillermo Mota in the 10th inning to lead the Phillies over the Mets 4-2. Carlos Delgado accounted for the Met runs. A sac fly by Alejandro de Aza in the 11th lifted Florida past Atlanta 4-3. Jeremy Hermida drove in 2 for the Fish. The Cubs scored 4 in the 7th to best the Brewers 5-3. Jacque Jones drove in 2 for the Cubbies. Braden Looper threw 7 shutout innings and Chris Duncan drove in 4 as the Cardinals shut out the Astros 7-0. In game 2, and Adam LaRoche single in the 8th led the Pirates past the Reds 4-3. San Diego scored 6 runs off of Brandon Webb and beat the Diamondbacks 6-4. Khalil Greene and Josh Bard each drove in 2 for the Pads. Shea Hillenbrand drove in 2 as the Dodgers nipped the Nats 4-3. The Giants got 2 RBI's from Randy Winn in a 3-1 win over Colorado.
News and Notes
- Mike Mussina will be skipped in his next turn in the rotation, being replaced with highly touted prospect Ian Kennedy. He'll start Saturday against Tampa. It may be the beginning of the end to a storied Mussina career that borders on HOF but will probably fall just short.
- Ben Sheets was activated from the DL and will start tonight in a huge game against the Cubs. Milwaukke has fallen into 3rd place in the NL Central.
- Esteban Loaiza was claimed off of waivers by the Dodgers, as they try to shore up an injured and ineffective rotation. Alex Cintron was placed on the restricted list.
Wednesday On Tap
Today, Jeff Francis threw a complete game six hit shutout as the Rockies rocked the Giants 8-0. Garrett Atkins homered twice and drove in 4 for Colorado. Toronto-Oakland and Washington-Los Angeles have both gone into extra frames, and the Angels are holding a late inning lead over Seattle.
At 7 on ESPN2, Roger Clemens opposes Josh Beckett in The Bronx as the Yankees and Red Sox do battle. Rays and O's go at 7 with James Shields taking the hill for Tampa. It's Santana and Sabathia as the Twins and Indians tussle. Miller and Greinke go in a critical series for the Tigers, and Garland faces Loe deep in the heart of Texas.
Philadelphia wants to stay in the NL East race and send Jaime Moyer to the mound against Oliver Perez of the Mets. Harang and Snell go in Pittsburgh, and the Braves send Buddy Carlyle against the Marlins and Dontrelle Willis. Huge game in the NLC as Ben Sheets returns opposite Carlos Zambrano and the Cubbies. St Louis sends Kip Wells to Houston against Roy Oswalt, and Micah Owings and Greg Maddux duel at Petco.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
School has started, and that means that baseball's regular season is hitting the stretch run. The weekend brought some heavy impact and one team has pulled out some Donald Trumps to send a message. Yesterday's recap, today's news and notes, and what's on tap for today is what's going down today on ATM.
Sunday Recap
Detroit hit 3 homers and scored their 5 runs on 4 hits in a 5-4 win over Phil Hughes and the Yankees. Curtis Granderson led off the 1st with an inside thr park homer. Erik Bedard had a rare rought outing as the Twins blasted Baltimore 11-3 to complete the sweep. Bartlett, Redmond, and White each drove in 2 for Minnesota. Carlos Pena homered twice and drove in 3 as the Rays beat the A's 7-4. Tampa got 7 strikeouts from starter Andy Sonnanstine. Boston got 6 solid frames from Julian Taverez and walloped the White Sox 11-1. Pedroia, Ortiz, and Kielty each drove in 2 for the Red Sox. Cleveland got RBI singles from Hafner and Martinez in the 11th to edge Kansas City 5-3. Escobar outdueled McGowan as the Angels beat the Blue Jays 3-1. Byrd and Sosa each drove in 2 as the Rangers defeated Seattle 5-3.
The Reds scored 6 in the first and mauled the Marlins 9-3. Ryan Jorgensen had a first inning grand slam for Cincy. Padres starter Tim Stauffer gave up a team record 11 earned runs in a 14-2 loss to Philadelphia. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth each drove in 4 runs for the Phils. Ty Wigginton drove in 2 as Houston beat the Pirates 5-3. Adam Wainwright pitched the Cardinals past the Braves 4-1. Colorado scored 6 in the 3rd to weather Washington 10-5. Holliday and Tulowitzki each drove in 3 for the Rockies. Randy Winn and Guillermo Rodriguez each drove in 2 as the Giants edged the Brewers 5-4. Ryan Braun had a 3 run homer for Milwaukee. Chris Young homered twice and drove in 4 as the Diamondbacks got a much needed 5-4 win over the Cubs. David Wells got the win in his Dodgers debut as Los Angeles defeated the Mets 6-2. Pierre and Kemp each drove in 2 for the Dodgers.
News and Notes
- One day after retiring Jeff Bagwell's number 5, the Astros fired manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura. Bench coach Cecil Cooper will be the interrim skipper, and president Tal Smith will currently serve as the temporary GM.
- Alfonso Soriano will be back in the lineup tomorrow for the Cubs in a huge series against the Brewers, according to manager Lou Piniella.
- Phils ace Cole Hamels has started his rehab and hopes to be back on the 3rd of September.
- Redefining a comedy of errors, the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (Toronto) made 10 errors in one game, and almost won! They fell 12-10 in 10 innings to the Ottawa Lynx (Philadelphia).
- Pete Orr up, and Joey Devine down for Atlanta. Detroit placed both Gary Sheffield and Jair Jurrjens on the DL, and called up Zach Miner and Timo Perez in their steads.
Monday On Tap
In a makeup game, the White Sox got 5 runs in the 7th inning on 4 home runs to beat Tampa Bay 5-4. Delmon Young had a 2 run shot for the Rays.
At 7 on ESPN2, the Yankees send struggling Mike Mussina to the hill against Justin Verlander and the Tigers. Silva and Byrd tussle as the Twins and Tribe open a series at the Jake. Burnett and Loaiza go in Oakland, and the Angels and Mariners open up a huge series with Lackey facing Batista.
The Phillies need wins over the Mets, JD Durbin faces Brian Lawrence. Atlanta is in Florida, and Arizona and San Diego open up a bigtime series, Livan Hernandez goes up against Jake Peavy. Los Angeles sends Derek Lowe to the mound against Washignton, and Josh Fogg faces Barry Zito as the Giants and Rockies open up a set by the Bay.
- ESPN senior writer Jayson Stark told SprungOnSports the rational behind the Cubs' recent acquisition of Craig Monroe.
"They're 12-19 against lefthanded starters. And Monroe is hitting .302, with an .858 OPS, vs. lefthanders. So he's there to be a platoon piece in the puzzle. They're not bringing him in thinking he's going to be Mark Teixeira." Maybe not an impact piece, but someone who can definitely impact a tight NL Central race.
Sunday Recap
Detroit hit 3 homers and scored their 5 runs on 4 hits in a 5-4 win over Phil Hughes and the Yankees. Curtis Granderson led off the 1st with an inside thr park homer. Erik Bedard had a rare rought outing as the Twins blasted Baltimore 11-3 to complete the sweep. Bartlett, Redmond, and White each drove in 2 for Minnesota. Carlos Pena homered twice and drove in 3 as the Rays beat the A's 7-4. Tampa got 7 strikeouts from starter Andy Sonnanstine. Boston got 6 solid frames from Julian Taverez and walloped the White Sox 11-1. Pedroia, Ortiz, and Kielty each drove in 2 for the Red Sox. Cleveland got RBI singles from Hafner and Martinez in the 11th to edge Kansas City 5-3. Escobar outdueled McGowan as the Angels beat the Blue Jays 3-1. Byrd and Sosa each drove in 2 as the Rangers defeated Seattle 5-3.
The Reds scored 6 in the first and mauled the Marlins 9-3. Ryan Jorgensen had a first inning grand slam for Cincy. Padres starter Tim Stauffer gave up a team record 11 earned runs in a 14-2 loss to Philadelphia. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth each drove in 4 runs for the Phils. Ty Wigginton drove in 2 as Houston beat the Pirates 5-3. Adam Wainwright pitched the Cardinals past the Braves 4-1. Colorado scored 6 in the 3rd to weather Washington 10-5. Holliday and Tulowitzki each drove in 3 for the Rockies. Randy Winn and Guillermo Rodriguez each drove in 2 as the Giants edged the Brewers 5-4. Ryan Braun had a 3 run homer for Milwaukee. Chris Young homered twice and drove in 4 as the Diamondbacks got a much needed 5-4 win over the Cubs. David Wells got the win in his Dodgers debut as Los Angeles defeated the Mets 6-2. Pierre and Kemp each drove in 2 for the Dodgers.
News and Notes
- One day after retiring Jeff Bagwell's number 5, the Astros fired manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura. Bench coach Cecil Cooper will be the interrim skipper, and president Tal Smith will currently serve as the temporary GM.
- Alfonso Soriano will be back in the lineup tomorrow for the Cubs in a huge series against the Brewers, according to manager Lou Piniella.
- Phils ace Cole Hamels has started his rehab and hopes to be back on the 3rd of September.
- Redefining a comedy of errors, the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (Toronto) made 10 errors in one game, and almost won! They fell 12-10 in 10 innings to the Ottawa Lynx (Philadelphia).
- Pete Orr up, and Joey Devine down for Atlanta. Detroit placed both Gary Sheffield and Jair Jurrjens on the DL, and called up Zach Miner and Timo Perez in their steads.
Monday On Tap
In a makeup game, the White Sox got 5 runs in the 7th inning on 4 home runs to beat Tampa Bay 5-4. Delmon Young had a 2 run shot for the Rays.
At 7 on ESPN2, the Yankees send struggling Mike Mussina to the hill against Justin Verlander and the Tigers. Silva and Byrd tussle as the Twins and Tribe open a series at the Jake. Burnett and Loaiza go in Oakland, and the Angels and Mariners open up a huge series with Lackey facing Batista.
The Phillies need wins over the Mets, JD Durbin faces Brian Lawrence. Atlanta is in Florida, and Arizona and San Diego open up a bigtime series, Livan Hernandez goes up against Jake Peavy. Los Angeles sends Derek Lowe to the mound against Washignton, and Josh Fogg faces Barry Zito as the Giants and Rockies open up a set by the Bay.
- ESPN senior writer Jayson Stark told SprungOnSports the rational behind the Cubs' recent acquisition of Craig Monroe.
"They're 12-19 against lefthanded starters. And Monroe is hitting .302, with an .858 OPS, vs. lefthanders. So he's there to be a platoon piece in the puzzle. They're not bringing him in thinking he's going to be Mark Teixeira." Maybe not an impact piece, but someone who can definitely impact a tight NL Central race.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Around The Majors- Friday
I'll recap yesterday's games, go through the standings, get to the news and notes, and preview a pivotal weekend of race altering ganes. Let's do this.
Thursday Recap
Jake Westbrook went 8 scoreless innings and Nate Robertson went 8 and two thirds scoreless in a huge battle between the two teams fighting for the AL Central crown. The game needed extra innings, but the Tribe then scored 3 runs off of flamethrower Joel Zumaya including a bases loaded two run single by Chris Gomez and beat the Tigers 3-1 in 10. Minnesota scored 4 in the 8th to beat Baltimore 5-2. Jason Kubel drove in 2 to help out winning starter Boof Bonser. Mike Piazza went 4-5 with a homer and 5 RBI's as Oakland trounced Tampa Bay 12-2. Jack Cust homered and drove in 3 to help out Chad Gaudin. Boston and the White Sox were postponed by rain. Ichiro drove in 3 and Jeff Weaver continued his solid pitching as the Mariners ripped the Rangers 9-4. Brad Wilkerson homered and drove in 2 in the loss. Matt Stairs drove in 2 including the go ahead run in the 5th as Jesse Litch pitched Toronto past the Angels 5-4. Vlad Guerrero homered twice with 3 ribs, but it wasn't enough for the Halos.
The Dodgers scored 3 in the 8th to reward Chad Billingsley's solid effort as Los Angeles bested Philadelphia 5-2. Ramon Martinez drove in 2 for the Dodgers. Josh Phelps went 4-5 with 3 RBI's and Pittsburgh cooled Colorado 5-1. Paul Maholm pitched 7 strong for the win. Matt Cain outdueled Carlos Zambrano as the Giants edged the Cubs 4-1. Dave Roberts drove in 2 for San Fran. Atlanta's free fall continues. Adam Dunn hit a walkoff 2 run homer in the 12th off of Bob Wickman to defeat the Braves 9-7. Chipper Jones drove in 5 in the loss. Once again, both Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner blew saves. I've never seen two of the best closers of all time perform this badly at the same time, in the same series. Anyway, Adrian Gonzalez homered in the 10th off of Aaron Heilman and former Met Heath Bell picked up the save as the Padres beat the Mets 9-8. Bradley, Bard, and Marcus Giles each drove in two for the Friars. Washington scored 5 times in the 1st inning and held on to nip Houston 7-6. Carlos Lee drove in 5 in the loss. Josh Willingham had 2 homers and 6 RBI's as Florida crushed the Cards 11-3. St Louis committed 4 errors in the game.
Standings
Boston holds a 5 game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. Tampa has lost 7 of 10. Cleveland is 2.5 clear of Detroit in the AL Central. The Tigers have lost 7 of 10 and Chicago has lost 8 of 10. Seattle has won 7 of 10 and have closed to within a game of first place Los Angeles in the AL West. Oakland has won 5 in a row and 8 of 10 to get over .500. The Mets have won 7 of 10 and own a 5 game lead on Philly and a 6 game advantage over Atlanta in the NL East. Florida has lost 8 of 10 and is now in last place. The Cubs lead the Brewers by a half game in the NL Central. Milwaukee has lost 7 of 10 and St Louis has won 7 of 10 and are 3 games back. The Reds have won 7 of 10. Arizona leads San Diego by 3 in the NL West, and the Dodgers by 5.5. Colorado has lost 7 of 10. Seattle now has a 2 game lead over the Yankees for the AL Wild Card. Detroit is 5 back. The Padres lead the Phillies by 2 games in the NL Wild Card, and the Dodgers by 2.5. Atlanta is 3 back, Milwaukee is 3.5 back, and Colorado is 4.5 behind the Pads.
News and Notes
- Akinori Otsuka will be out for the season with elbow problems. He'll be shut down for the remainder of the campaign.
- Edgar Renteria is back on the DL with ankle problems, Martin Prado was recalled. Baltimore sent Garrett Olson to rookie ball. Jon Lester was sent down to AA and Royce Clayton was signed to a minor league deal by Boston. Detroit activated Andrew Miller and sent down Zach Miner. Craig Monroe was dealt to the Cubs for a PTBNL. Rick White was called up by Seattle, replacing John Parrish. Adam Melhuse was designated for assignment.
Weekend Preview
Friday
Beckett and Garland go in the first game of a day night twinbill as the Sox Red and White face off at 2. Schilling and Danks go in the 8pm nightcapper. Santana faces Guthrie in B'More as the Twins look to keep their slim hopes alive. Clemens and Miller go in Detroit, and CC Sabathia faces starter turned reliever now turned starter again Zach Greinke. King Felix faces Millwood in Texas and Halladay faces Weaver in LA.
Maddux-Moyer, Willis-Harang, and Penny-Perez make for some good matchups. Snell pitches in Houston, Smoltz in St Louis, and Hill-Francis in Denver. Lowry pitches against the Brewers.
Saturday
The Sox battle and Mets-Dodgers are the 4pm FOX games, everything else is at night. Garza in Baltimore, Wang-Bonderman in the Motor City, and Blanton-Kazmir in Tampa. Marcum faces Saunders in LA.
Hudson and Piniero face off in the STL, and Ted Lilly faces the Snakes.
Sunday
Phil Hughes tries to tame Jurrjens and the Tigers, Bedard faces Minnesota, and Haren battles the Rays. Vazquez battles Boston, Carmona-Meche in KC, and McGowan faces Escobar.
Chris Young might face the Phils, Busg definitely faces Lincecum in SF, Marquis and Davis in Phoenix, and David Wells makes his Dodgers debut against Maine and the Mets (8pm ESPN).
Thursday Recap
Jake Westbrook went 8 scoreless innings and Nate Robertson went 8 and two thirds scoreless in a huge battle between the two teams fighting for the AL Central crown. The game needed extra innings, but the Tribe then scored 3 runs off of flamethrower Joel Zumaya including a bases loaded two run single by Chris Gomez and beat the Tigers 3-1 in 10. Minnesota scored 4 in the 8th to beat Baltimore 5-2. Jason Kubel drove in 2 to help out winning starter Boof Bonser. Mike Piazza went 4-5 with a homer and 5 RBI's as Oakland trounced Tampa Bay 12-2. Jack Cust homered and drove in 3 to help out Chad Gaudin. Boston and the White Sox were postponed by rain. Ichiro drove in 3 and Jeff Weaver continued his solid pitching as the Mariners ripped the Rangers 9-4. Brad Wilkerson homered and drove in 2 in the loss. Matt Stairs drove in 2 including the go ahead run in the 5th as Jesse Litch pitched Toronto past the Angels 5-4. Vlad Guerrero homered twice with 3 ribs, but it wasn't enough for the Halos.
The Dodgers scored 3 in the 8th to reward Chad Billingsley's solid effort as Los Angeles bested Philadelphia 5-2. Ramon Martinez drove in 2 for the Dodgers. Josh Phelps went 4-5 with 3 RBI's and Pittsburgh cooled Colorado 5-1. Paul Maholm pitched 7 strong for the win. Matt Cain outdueled Carlos Zambrano as the Giants edged the Cubs 4-1. Dave Roberts drove in 2 for San Fran. Atlanta's free fall continues. Adam Dunn hit a walkoff 2 run homer in the 12th off of Bob Wickman to defeat the Braves 9-7. Chipper Jones drove in 5 in the loss. Once again, both Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner blew saves. I've never seen two of the best closers of all time perform this badly at the same time, in the same series. Anyway, Adrian Gonzalez homered in the 10th off of Aaron Heilman and former Met Heath Bell picked up the save as the Padres beat the Mets 9-8. Bradley, Bard, and Marcus Giles each drove in two for the Friars. Washington scored 5 times in the 1st inning and held on to nip Houston 7-6. Carlos Lee drove in 5 in the loss. Josh Willingham had 2 homers and 6 RBI's as Florida crushed the Cards 11-3. St Louis committed 4 errors in the game.
Standings
Boston holds a 5 game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. Tampa has lost 7 of 10. Cleveland is 2.5 clear of Detroit in the AL Central. The Tigers have lost 7 of 10 and Chicago has lost 8 of 10. Seattle has won 7 of 10 and have closed to within a game of first place Los Angeles in the AL West. Oakland has won 5 in a row and 8 of 10 to get over .500. The Mets have won 7 of 10 and own a 5 game lead on Philly and a 6 game advantage over Atlanta in the NL East. Florida has lost 8 of 10 and is now in last place. The Cubs lead the Brewers by a half game in the NL Central. Milwaukee has lost 7 of 10 and St Louis has won 7 of 10 and are 3 games back. The Reds have won 7 of 10. Arizona leads San Diego by 3 in the NL West, and the Dodgers by 5.5. Colorado has lost 7 of 10. Seattle now has a 2 game lead over the Yankees for the AL Wild Card. Detroit is 5 back. The Padres lead the Phillies by 2 games in the NL Wild Card, and the Dodgers by 2.5. Atlanta is 3 back, Milwaukee is 3.5 back, and Colorado is 4.5 behind the Pads.
News and Notes
- Akinori Otsuka will be out for the season with elbow problems. He'll be shut down for the remainder of the campaign.
- Edgar Renteria is back on the DL with ankle problems, Martin Prado was recalled. Baltimore sent Garrett Olson to rookie ball. Jon Lester was sent down to AA and Royce Clayton was signed to a minor league deal by Boston. Detroit activated Andrew Miller and sent down Zach Miner. Craig Monroe was dealt to the Cubs for a PTBNL. Rick White was called up by Seattle, replacing John Parrish. Adam Melhuse was designated for assignment.
Weekend Preview
Friday
Beckett and Garland go in the first game of a day night twinbill as the Sox Red and White face off at 2. Schilling and Danks go in the 8pm nightcapper. Santana faces Guthrie in B'More as the Twins look to keep their slim hopes alive. Clemens and Miller go in Detroit, and CC Sabathia faces starter turned reliever now turned starter again Zach Greinke. King Felix faces Millwood in Texas and Halladay faces Weaver in LA.
Maddux-Moyer, Willis-Harang, and Penny-Perez make for some good matchups. Snell pitches in Houston, Smoltz in St Louis, and Hill-Francis in Denver. Lowry pitches against the Brewers.
Saturday
The Sox battle and Mets-Dodgers are the 4pm FOX games, everything else is at night. Garza in Baltimore, Wang-Bonderman in the Motor City, and Blanton-Kazmir in Tampa. Marcum faces Saunders in LA.
Hudson and Piniero face off in the STL, and Ted Lilly faces the Snakes.
Sunday
Phil Hughes tries to tame Jurrjens and the Tigers, Bedard faces Minnesota, and Haren battles the Rays. Vazquez battles Boston, Carmona-Meche in KC, and McGowan faces Escobar.
Chris Young might face the Phils, Busg definitely faces Lincecum in SF, Marquis and Davis in Phoenix, and David Wells makes his Dodgers debut against Maine and the Mets (8pm ESPN).
Monday, August 20, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
I'll recap Sunday's action, go through news and notes, and we'll see what's on tap for today here on ATM.
Sunday Recap
Wilson Betemit drove in 4 and Hideki Matsui had 3 RBI's as the Yankees took 3 out of 4 from Detroit with a 9-3 win at Yankee Stadium. Roy Halladay and Jeremy Guthrie had a pitchers duel that needed extra innings to decide. Aaron Hill's sac fly off of Chad Bradford in the 10th gave Toronto a 3-2 victory over Baltimore. Sabathia and Shields also had a duel that went into extra frames, and a Joel Guzman single in the 12th won it for the Rays 4-3. Victor Martinez drove in 2 in the loss for the Tribe. Joe Saunders pitched a fantastic game as the Angels bested Boston 3-1. Julian Taverez took the tough luck loss. Johan Santana may have had his best career start yesterday, pitching a complete game two hit shutout while striking out a Minnesota record 17 batters as the Twins tamed Texas and Kevin Millwood 1-0. Marco Scutaro went 4-4 with a homer and 2 driven in as Oakland defeated KC 6-1. Jose Guillen drove in 5 as Seattle beat up Jon Garland and the ChiSox 11-5. Jerry Owens drove in 2 for the Pale Hose. Mark Teixeira homered twice and drove in 4 as John Smoltz struck out 12 to take over the all time Braves record in a 6-2 win over Arizona to salvage the last game in the set. The Giants scored 3 in the 7th to edge the Marlins 6-5. Ray Durham drove in 2 for Frisco. Carlos Beltran homered twice as the Mets scored 4 in the 8th to sweep Washington 8-2. Marlon Anderson and Shawn Green each drove in a pair for New York. The Pirates pushed across 7 in the 7th to fry the Phillies 8-4. Matt Kata hit a pinch hit 3 run double and Xavier nady drove in 2 for the Bucs. The Reds scored 2 in the 8th to earn a wild 7-6 win over the Brewers that saw a combined 6 homers. Phillips, Dunn, and Valentin each drove in 2 for the Reds. San Diego edged the Astros 5-3, the Dodgers beat the Rockies 4-3, and Cubs-Cards was postponed by rain.
News and Notes
- The White Sox resigned Jermaine Dye to a 2 year, 22 million dollar extension. Apparently, Chicago wants to reload rather then rebuild. Can't say that i agree with this plan.
- Double-A Montgomery pitcher James Houser tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, and was suspended 50 games.
- Yusmeiro Petit was activated yesterday to lose yesterday's game for the Snakes. Cliff Floyd was moved to the retricted list by the Cubs, Joel Zumaya will give a huge boost to the Tigers off of the DL, and the White Sox inked Mike Myers as a lefty for the stretch run. Damion Easley was placed on the DL with a severe ankle sprain, Anderson Hernandez was recalled.
Monday On Tap
Ortiz and Mitre do battle as the Giants and Marlins complete their series in Miami. Joel Piniero has been excellent in his stint with St Louis, he faces Ted Lilly and the Cubs in day action. The Braves need to get back in the NL East race, they send Tim Hudson to the mound against Phil Dumatrait and the Reds. Redding and Jennings go in Houston, and youngster Ubaldo Jimenez leads Colorado against Matt Morris and the Pirates. Big series in the desert as Doug Davis and the Snakes face Yovani Gallardo and Milwaukee.
Padilla faces Cabrera in Baltimore and Blanton faces Marcum in Toronto. Boston wants to keep it's lead in the AL East, they send Tim Wakefield against Scott Kazmir. The Mariners want to keep their WC lead, Horacio Ramirez goes in Minnesota against Matt Garza. Meche and Buehrle go in Chicago, and Phil Hughes faces Dustin Moseley as the Angels and Yankees throw down in LA (10pm ESPN)
Sunday Recap
Wilson Betemit drove in 4 and Hideki Matsui had 3 RBI's as the Yankees took 3 out of 4 from Detroit with a 9-3 win at Yankee Stadium. Roy Halladay and Jeremy Guthrie had a pitchers duel that needed extra innings to decide. Aaron Hill's sac fly off of Chad Bradford in the 10th gave Toronto a 3-2 victory over Baltimore. Sabathia and Shields also had a duel that went into extra frames, and a Joel Guzman single in the 12th won it for the Rays 4-3. Victor Martinez drove in 2 in the loss for the Tribe. Joe Saunders pitched a fantastic game as the Angels bested Boston 3-1. Julian Taverez took the tough luck loss. Johan Santana may have had his best career start yesterday, pitching a complete game two hit shutout while striking out a Minnesota record 17 batters as the Twins tamed Texas and Kevin Millwood 1-0. Marco Scutaro went 4-4 with a homer and 2 driven in as Oakland defeated KC 6-1. Jose Guillen drove in 5 as Seattle beat up Jon Garland and the ChiSox 11-5. Jerry Owens drove in 2 for the Pale Hose. Mark Teixeira homered twice and drove in 4 as John Smoltz struck out 12 to take over the all time Braves record in a 6-2 win over Arizona to salvage the last game in the set. The Giants scored 3 in the 7th to edge the Marlins 6-5. Ray Durham drove in 2 for Frisco. Carlos Beltran homered twice as the Mets scored 4 in the 8th to sweep Washington 8-2. Marlon Anderson and Shawn Green each drove in a pair for New York. The Pirates pushed across 7 in the 7th to fry the Phillies 8-4. Matt Kata hit a pinch hit 3 run double and Xavier nady drove in 2 for the Bucs. The Reds scored 2 in the 8th to earn a wild 7-6 win over the Brewers that saw a combined 6 homers. Phillips, Dunn, and Valentin each drove in 2 for the Reds. San Diego edged the Astros 5-3, the Dodgers beat the Rockies 4-3, and Cubs-Cards was postponed by rain.
News and Notes
- The White Sox resigned Jermaine Dye to a 2 year, 22 million dollar extension. Apparently, Chicago wants to reload rather then rebuild. Can't say that i agree with this plan.
- Double-A Montgomery pitcher James Houser tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, and was suspended 50 games.
- Yusmeiro Petit was activated yesterday to lose yesterday's game for the Snakes. Cliff Floyd was moved to the retricted list by the Cubs, Joel Zumaya will give a huge boost to the Tigers off of the DL, and the White Sox inked Mike Myers as a lefty for the stretch run. Damion Easley was placed on the DL with a severe ankle sprain, Anderson Hernandez was recalled.
Monday On Tap
Ortiz and Mitre do battle as the Giants and Marlins complete their series in Miami. Joel Piniero has been excellent in his stint with St Louis, he faces Ted Lilly and the Cubs in day action. The Braves need to get back in the NL East race, they send Tim Hudson to the mound against Phil Dumatrait and the Reds. Redding and Jennings go in Houston, and youngster Ubaldo Jimenez leads Colorado against Matt Morris and the Pirates. Big series in the desert as Doug Davis and the Snakes face Yovani Gallardo and Milwaukee.
Padilla faces Cabrera in Baltimore and Blanton faces Marcum in Toronto. Boston wants to keep it's lead in the AL East, they send Tim Wakefield against Scott Kazmir. The Mariners want to keep their WC lead, Horacio Ramirez goes in Minnesota against Matt Garza. Meche and Buehrle go in Chicago, and Phil Hughes faces Dustin Moseley as the Angels and Yankees throw down in LA (10pm ESPN)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Around The Majors- Friday
TGIF!!! Some games have already started today with some grande playoff implications. The Red Sox are looking to hold off the Angels, as Clay Buchholz made a very solid debut for Boston. The Cubs and Cardinals have started what has become an impact series in the NL Central race. The Redbirds are making a serious late run in the division of morbid mediocrity. The Cubs are really pleased now that they've resigned Carlos Zambrano to a 5 year, 90 million dollar contract extension. This takes the premier starting pitcher off of the free agent market, and gives the Cubs and Z a big sense of security.
Thursday Recap
A walkoff 3 run jack by Kurt Suzuki in the 10th lifted Oakland past the White Sox 8-5. Mike Piazza homered and drove in 2 for the A's. Detroit got a Carlos Guillen grand slam in the first off of Mike Mussina and cruised to an 8-5 win. Matsui and Abreu each drove in 2 for the Yankees. Kelvim Escobar pitched really well against his former team as the Angels edged Toronto 4-3. John Buck drove in 3 as the Royals roasted the Rangers 6-2. St Louis got a dominating performance from Adam Wainwright, and Yadier Molina and David Eckstein each drove in 3 as the Cards blasted the Brewers 8-0 to complete a 3 game sweep. Mark DeRosa went 5-5 with 4 RBI's as the Cubs killed the Reds 12-4. Carlos Ruiz drove in 2 as Cole Hamels led the Phillies past the Nationals 4-2. Pittsburgh scored 7 unanswered runs to beat the Mets 10-7. Jason Bay drove in 3 for the Bucs. Arizona edged Florida 5-4, and Bengie Molina drove in 4 as the Giants jolted the Braves 9-3. Mike Cameron drove in 3 as the Padres bested the Rockies 11-9. Furcal and Kent each drove in 2 as the Dodgers beat the Astros 6-2.
Transactions
Boston brought up Clay Buchholz for today's game. Detroit brought up one of the best prospects out there, Cameron Maybin. Ramon Santiago came up, Omar Infante went down, and Craig Monroe was designated for assignment. The Red Sox finally got rid of Wily Mo Pena, giving him along with cash to his former GM Jim Bowden in Washington for a player to be named later.
Weekend Preview
Friday
Robertson and Pettitte duel in The Bronx, Ervin Santana comes back for the Angels against Josh Beckett, and Burnett faces the Orioles. Byrd goes in Tampa, and Contreras faces Batista in Seattle. Glavine goes to Washington, Durbin faces Gorzelanny, Zito goes in Miami, Webb pitches in Atlanta, and Peavy faces the Astros.
Saturday
Clemens faces Detroit and Marshall faces the Cards at 4pm on FOX. Weaver faces Schiiling in Boston, Bonser faces the Rangers, Westbrook faces the Rays, and Danks faces Weaver (10pm FOX). Vargas faces the Reds, Owings battles Carlyle in Atlanta, and Perez goes in Washington. Moyer pitches in Pittsburgh, Oswalt faces Germano, and Billingsley faces the Rockies.
Sunday
Bonderman battles Wang, Halladay goes against Baltimore, Sabathia faces Shields, and Saunders battles Wakefield. Santana faces Texas, and Garland faces King Felix. Smoltz battles the Snakes, Lowry-Willis in Florida, Hernandez against the Nats, and Lohse-Snell. Harang battles the Brewers. Maddux faces the Astros, Francis-Tomko in LA, and Zambrano faces St Louis with a new contract (8pm ESPN).
Thursday Recap
A walkoff 3 run jack by Kurt Suzuki in the 10th lifted Oakland past the White Sox 8-5. Mike Piazza homered and drove in 2 for the A's. Detroit got a Carlos Guillen grand slam in the first off of Mike Mussina and cruised to an 8-5 win. Matsui and Abreu each drove in 2 for the Yankees. Kelvim Escobar pitched really well against his former team as the Angels edged Toronto 4-3. John Buck drove in 3 as the Royals roasted the Rangers 6-2. St Louis got a dominating performance from Adam Wainwright, and Yadier Molina and David Eckstein each drove in 3 as the Cards blasted the Brewers 8-0 to complete a 3 game sweep. Mark DeRosa went 5-5 with 4 RBI's as the Cubs killed the Reds 12-4. Carlos Ruiz drove in 2 as Cole Hamels led the Phillies past the Nationals 4-2. Pittsburgh scored 7 unanswered runs to beat the Mets 10-7. Jason Bay drove in 3 for the Bucs. Arizona edged Florida 5-4, and Bengie Molina drove in 4 as the Giants jolted the Braves 9-3. Mike Cameron drove in 3 as the Padres bested the Rockies 11-9. Furcal and Kent each drove in 2 as the Dodgers beat the Astros 6-2.
Transactions
Boston brought up Clay Buchholz for today's game. Detroit brought up one of the best prospects out there, Cameron Maybin. Ramon Santiago came up, Omar Infante went down, and Craig Monroe was designated for assignment. The Red Sox finally got rid of Wily Mo Pena, giving him along with cash to his former GM Jim Bowden in Washington for a player to be named later.
Weekend Preview
Friday
Robertson and Pettitte duel in The Bronx, Ervin Santana comes back for the Angels against Josh Beckett, and Burnett faces the Orioles. Byrd goes in Tampa, and Contreras faces Batista in Seattle. Glavine goes to Washington, Durbin faces Gorzelanny, Zito goes in Miami, Webb pitches in Atlanta, and Peavy faces the Astros.
Saturday
Clemens faces Detroit and Marshall faces the Cards at 4pm on FOX. Weaver faces Schiiling in Boston, Bonser faces the Rangers, Westbrook faces the Rays, and Danks faces Weaver (10pm FOX). Vargas faces the Reds, Owings battles Carlyle in Atlanta, and Perez goes in Washington. Moyer pitches in Pittsburgh, Oswalt faces Germano, and Billingsley faces the Rockies.
Sunday
Bonderman battles Wang, Halladay goes against Baltimore, Sabathia faces Shields, and Saunders battles Wakefield. Santana faces Texas, and Garland faces King Felix. Smoltz battles the Snakes, Lowry-Willis in Florida, Hernandez against the Nats, and Lohse-Snell. Harang battles the Brewers. Maddux faces the Astros, Francis-Tomko in LA, and Zambrano faces St Louis with a new contract (8pm ESPN).
Monday, August 13, 2007
Around The Majors- Monday
My extended summer vacation is over, and it's time to get back to last night's scores, standings, news and notes, and what's on tap today around the majors.
Sunday Recap
Andy Pettitte pitched wonderfully as the Yankees completed a sweep of Cleveland 5-3. Jason Giambi homered and drove in 2 in the win. Magglio Ordonez homered twice in an 8 run 2nd inning as Detroit pummeled Oakland 11-6. Ordonez drove in 4, Marco Scutaro homered and drove in 4 for the A's. Miguel Tejada hit a 2 run homer off of Eric Gagne in the 8th tied it, and a 3 run homer by Kevin Millar won it in the 9th as Baltimore shocked Boston 6-3. Manny Ramirez drove in 2 in the loss. Jeff Weaver pitched a 5 hit shutout as the red hot Mariners shut out the White Sox 6-0. Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless 9th, and he's now retired 41 consecutive hitters which ties an all time major league record. Adrian Beltre homered and drove in 3 for the M's. The Angels completed a sweep of the Twins with a 6-2 win on Sunday. Jered Weaver pitched a solid game, and Chone Figgins drove in 2 for Los Angeles. Jason Bartlett drove in 2 in the loss. AJ Burnett got the win in his first start back as Toronto beat Kansas City 4-1. Lyle Overbay drove in 2 in the win. Texas trounced Tampa Bay 9-1 as Ian Kinsler and Marlon Byrd each drove in 2 runs. Kason Gabbard left in the 2nd inning with an injury.
A pregame ceremony celebrated Tom Glavine's 300th victory, and the Mets scored 5 in the 8th to maul the Marlins 10-4. Moises Alou homered twice and drove in 4, and Carlos Delgado and Lastings Milledge each drove in 2 for the Mets. Brian Giles homered twice as the Padres ripped the Reds 10-4. Khalil Greene drove in 3 for the Friars. Houston scored 4 in the 8th to defeat Milwaukee 6-4. The woes of the Dodgers continue as they were pounded by St Louis 12-2. Ryan Ludwick homered and drove in 4 for the Cards. Tom Gorzelanny pitched a 5 hit shutout as Josh Phelps homered and drove in 4 for the Pirates. Colorado beat the Cubs 6-3 as Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in 3 for the Rox. Washington scored 4 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to best the white hot D-Backs 7-6. Ryan Church and Jesus Flores each drove in 2 for the Nats. Ryan Howard's 3 run homer in the 5th lifted the Phillies past the Braves 5-3 as Jaime Moyer earned his 11th win.
Standings
The Yankees have won 3 in a row and 8 of 10 to get within 4 games of Boston in the AL East. Cleveland has lost 3 straight and are now a half game behind Detroit in the AL Central. Minnesota has lost 4 in a row and 7 of 10 to go 7 games back. The Angels have won 3 in a row and 7 of 10 to keep their 3.5 game lead over Seattle in the AL West. The Mariners have also won 7 of 10. Texas has lost 7 of 10. The Mets lead the Phillies by 3 and the Braves by 3.5 games in the NL East. The Cubs have lost 7 of 10 and are 1.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. St Louis is 5.5 back. Arizona has won 7 of 10 and has a 3 game lead over San Diego in the NL West. Colorado is 5 back, the Dodgers are 6 games behind the Snakes. Seattle is a percentage point ahead of the Yankees for the AL Wild Card. Cleveland is 1.5 back, Toronto is 6.5 back. The Padres lead the Phillies by a game for the NL Wild Card, Atlanta by 1.5, Colorado by 2, and the Cubs and Dodgers by 3 games.
News and Notes
- Paul Lo Duca went on the DL yesterday, and his backup Ramon Castro left yesterday's game with back discomfort.
- Jay Gibbons will have season ending surgery for his torn labrum.
- Cliff Floyd went on bereavement leave, Daryle Ward was activated from the DL.
- Josh Hamilton was activated from the DL, Mark Bellhorn was designated for assignment. Adam Kennedy and Brandon League were both placed on the DL.
- On tap for today, the Giants and Pirates play a twinbill at 5 and 8:30. Cain and Lowry go for the Giants. The Astros and Dodgers play tonight at 10 on ESPN2, Oswalt and Billingley are the starters. Wakefield goes for Boston against Tampa Bay, Oakland faces Detroit, and Guthrie faces Wang in New York. Johan Santana and King Felix go in Seattle in a dazzling pitching matchup.
Sunday Recap
Andy Pettitte pitched wonderfully as the Yankees completed a sweep of Cleveland 5-3. Jason Giambi homered and drove in 2 in the win. Magglio Ordonez homered twice in an 8 run 2nd inning as Detroit pummeled Oakland 11-6. Ordonez drove in 4, Marco Scutaro homered and drove in 4 for the A's. Miguel Tejada hit a 2 run homer off of Eric Gagne in the 8th tied it, and a 3 run homer by Kevin Millar won it in the 9th as Baltimore shocked Boston 6-3. Manny Ramirez drove in 2 in the loss. Jeff Weaver pitched a 5 hit shutout as the red hot Mariners shut out the White Sox 6-0. Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless 9th, and he's now retired 41 consecutive hitters which ties an all time major league record. Adrian Beltre homered and drove in 3 for the M's. The Angels completed a sweep of the Twins with a 6-2 win on Sunday. Jered Weaver pitched a solid game, and Chone Figgins drove in 2 for Los Angeles. Jason Bartlett drove in 2 in the loss. AJ Burnett got the win in his first start back as Toronto beat Kansas City 4-1. Lyle Overbay drove in 2 in the win. Texas trounced Tampa Bay 9-1 as Ian Kinsler and Marlon Byrd each drove in 2 runs. Kason Gabbard left in the 2nd inning with an injury.
A pregame ceremony celebrated Tom Glavine's 300th victory, and the Mets scored 5 in the 8th to maul the Marlins 10-4. Moises Alou homered twice and drove in 4, and Carlos Delgado and Lastings Milledge each drove in 2 for the Mets. Brian Giles homered twice as the Padres ripped the Reds 10-4. Khalil Greene drove in 3 for the Friars. Houston scored 4 in the 8th to defeat Milwaukee 6-4. The woes of the Dodgers continue as they were pounded by St Louis 12-2. Ryan Ludwick homered and drove in 4 for the Cards. Tom Gorzelanny pitched a 5 hit shutout as Josh Phelps homered and drove in 4 for the Pirates. Colorado beat the Cubs 6-3 as Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in 3 for the Rox. Washington scored 4 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to best the white hot D-Backs 7-6. Ryan Church and Jesus Flores each drove in 2 for the Nats. Ryan Howard's 3 run homer in the 5th lifted the Phillies past the Braves 5-3 as Jaime Moyer earned his 11th win.
Standings
The Yankees have won 3 in a row and 8 of 10 to get within 4 games of Boston in the AL East. Cleveland has lost 3 straight and are now a half game behind Detroit in the AL Central. Minnesota has lost 4 in a row and 7 of 10 to go 7 games back. The Angels have won 3 in a row and 7 of 10 to keep their 3.5 game lead over Seattle in the AL West. The Mariners have also won 7 of 10. Texas has lost 7 of 10. The Mets lead the Phillies by 3 and the Braves by 3.5 games in the NL East. The Cubs have lost 7 of 10 and are 1.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. St Louis is 5.5 back. Arizona has won 7 of 10 and has a 3 game lead over San Diego in the NL West. Colorado is 5 back, the Dodgers are 6 games behind the Snakes. Seattle is a percentage point ahead of the Yankees for the AL Wild Card. Cleveland is 1.5 back, Toronto is 6.5 back. The Padres lead the Phillies by a game for the NL Wild Card, Atlanta by 1.5, Colorado by 2, and the Cubs and Dodgers by 3 games.
News and Notes
- Paul Lo Duca went on the DL yesterday, and his backup Ramon Castro left yesterday's game with back discomfort.
- Jay Gibbons will have season ending surgery for his torn labrum.
- Cliff Floyd went on bereavement leave, Daryle Ward was activated from the DL.
- Josh Hamilton was activated from the DL, Mark Bellhorn was designated for assignment. Adam Kennedy and Brandon League were both placed on the DL.
- On tap for today, the Giants and Pirates play a twinbill at 5 and 8:30. Cain and Lowry go for the Giants. The Astros and Dodgers play tonight at 10 on ESPN2, Oswalt and Billingley are the starters. Wakefield goes for Boston against Tampa Bay, Oakland faces Detroit, and Guthrie faces Wang in New York. Johan Santana and King Felix go in Seattle in a dazzling pitching matchup.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
A Wild Week It Was
Forget what you see in the headlines. Bonds, A-Rod, Glavine- nothing compared to the week that was and has been so far. Eric Byrnes who has been better than a toasted bagel with cream cheese got a well deserved three year extension. Kerry Wood (that's right this is not a typo) pitched for the first time in over a year and not only was it a perfect inning, but he struck out a batter and didn't get hurt! Lets hear it for Mr. Wood. Not to mention the unrealistic feats of Ryan Braun. His twenty-first home run of the year was after playing less than seventy games and being called up in May. Thats pretty solid if you ask any baseball fan. Braun also has ten stolen bases and a .347 average. Hes on pace to have over one-hundred RBIs and if you dont think he is a Rookie of the Year contender, then you must think Chris B. Young deserves it, and I don't blame you. The guy have been flat out good. No other way to describe his play. With nineteen homers from the lead-off spot and seventeen stolen bases, Young has played and steller centerfield for the first place D-Ba
cks and despite his .240 average, he is defenitly a contender for that prized award. On another D-back note, Justin Upton made his highly awaited debut this week and he was quite impressive and for all of those who thought he wouldn't be here until 2009, well you were wrong. Watch out, this guy will be taken in all of your fantasy leagues within about a week so get him fast before you miss out. Thats all for now. Eat, drink and sleep sports and untill next time, i'm Adam Ehrenreich
cks and despite his .240 average, he is defenitly a contender for that prized award. On another D-back note, Justin Upton made his highly awaited debut this week and he was quite impressive and for all of those who thought he wouldn't be here until 2009, well you were wrong. Watch out, this guy will be taken in all of your fantasy leagues within about a week so get him fast before you miss out. Thats all for now. Eat, drink and sleep sports and untill next time, i'm Adam Ehrenreich
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