Here's what's happening in baseball:
Weekend Games (4/19-21)
Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh
Friday – Pirates 6, Braves 0 – Wandy Rodriguez cooled off the red-hot Braves by allowing just one hit through seven innings, and Pedro Alvarez hit an early 2-run HR to start the scoring.
Saturday – Pirates 3, Braves 1 – Gabby Sanchez hit a 2-run HR in the sixth inning as the Pirates snapped Paul Maholm’s scoreless streak at 25 & 1/3 innings, and put the Braves on their first losing streak of the season.
Sunday – Pirates 4, Braves 2 – Clint Barmes had two run-scoring singles for the Pirates as they completed the sweep of the Braves as they humbled the Braves and swept the series at home, allowing Atlanta just three total runs in three days.
Washington vs. New York Mets
Friday – Mets 7, Nationals 1 – Matt Harvey outpitched Stephen Strasburg as the Mets routed the Nationals at home. Harvey went 7 innings, striking out 7 for his 4th win.
Saturday – Nationals 7, Mets 6 – On Bring-Your-Dog-To-The-Game day in New York, the Nationals outfielder spoiled all the fun with two HRs, the second a tiebreaking solo shot in the eighth inning as the Nationals clipped the Mets. The dogs were paraded around the warning track before the game and nobody had an accident as the outfielders fielded all the balls cleanly.
Sunday – Mets 2, Nationals 0 – John Buck hit his seventh home run and Dillon Gee won his first game of the season as the Mets shutout he Nationals as each team had just four hits.
Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Friday – Brewers 5, Cubs 4 – Ryan Braun hit a 3-run HR in the first inning as the Brewers held on to win at home.
Saturday – Brewers 5, Cubs 1 – Hiram Burgos won his ML debut, and battery mate Jonathan Lucroy homered as the Brewers have now won seven straight over the Cubs.
Sunday – Brewers 4, Cubs 2 – Ryan Braun hit a 3-run HR (his 5th) and the Brewers completed the sweep at home of the Cubs for their seventh straight win.
New York Yankees vs. Toronto
Friday – Yankees 9, Blue Jays 4 - Andy Pettitte pitched effectively into the eighth inning, and Travis Hafner, Vernon Wells & Lyle Overbay all homered as the Yankees won in Toronto.
Saturday – Yankees 5, Blue Jays 3 (11 innings) – The Yankees scored two runs on a throwing error in the 11th inning and won despite blowing a 2-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Sunday – Blue Jays 8, Yankees 4 – Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia hit his seventh home run, tying Baltimore’s Chris Davis for the A.L. lead, and Melky Cabrera had three hits against his former team as Toronto avoided the sweep at home.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Baltimore
Friday – Postponed due to rain. Doubleheader scheduled for Saturday 4/20.
Saturday (Game 1) – Orioles 7, Dodgers 5 – Nolan Reimold homered and hit a 2-run double as the Orioles rallied to take the first game of the doubleheader in Baltimore.
Saturday (Game 2) – Orioles 6, Dodgers 1 – Chris Davis and Manny Machado each homered as the Orioles roughed Josh Beckett to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers who have lost six straight games.
Sunday – Dodgers 7, Orioles 4 – Mark Ellis drove in three runs and Matt Kemp had three hits as the Dodgers avoided the sweep in Baltimore.
St. Louis vs. Philadelphia
Friday – Phillies 8, Cardinals 2 – Roy Halladay tossed a two hitter over seven innings for his second win, and he rebounded nicely from a terrible start to the season.
Saturday – Cardinals 5, Phillies 0 – Lance Lynn allowed just one hit in seven scoreless innings while striking out 8, and Carlos Beltran homered for the third consecutive game as the Cardinals blanked the Phillies in Philadelphia.
Sunday – Phillies 7, Cardinals 3 – Phillies catcher Erik Kratz hit a game-breaking 3-run HR in the eighth inning as Philadelphia earned a split of the 4-game series with St. Louis.
Miami vs. Cincinnati
Friday – Marlins 2, Reds 1 - Justin Ruggiano hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning off Reds closer Aroldis Chapman as the Marlins stole one in Cincinnati.
Saturday – Reds 3, Marlins 2 (13 innings) On Brandon Phillips Bobblehead Day in Cincinnati, Phillips came through late with a sacrifice fly in the 13th inning that scored the game-winning run, while Joey Votto went 4-6 with a home run to plate the first two runs.
Sunday – Reds 11, Marlins 2 – Brandon Phillips drove in the go-ahead run once again, and Joey Votto went 3-5 with a home run as the Reds won for the sixth time in seven games.
Tampa Bay vs. Oakland
Friday – Rays 8, A’s 2 – Evan Longoria had a 2-run HR and Ben Zobrist hit a pair of run-scoring singles as the Rays matched a season-high 8 runs scored.
Saturday – Rays 1, A’s 0 – Jeremy Hellickson pitched seven scoreless innings for the Rays, and Matt Joyce provided the game’s only run with a solo HR in the second inning.
Sunday – Rays 8, Athletics 1 – Yunel Escobar homered and Roberto Hernandez (formerly known as Fausto Carmona) picked up his first win with his new name as the Rays swept the A’s at home.
Boston vs. Kansas City
Friday – Postponed due to manhunt and city lockdown. Doubleheader scheduled for Sunday 4/21.
Saturday – Red Sox 4, Royals 3 – Daniel Nava hit a 3-run HR in the bottom of the eighth inning to provide an emotional boost for Boston fans who honored some of the victims and survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings before the game.
Sunday (Game 1) – Royals 4, Red Sox 2 – Ervin Santana struck out seven in seven innings, and rookie catcher Salvador Perez broke open a 2-2 tie with a two run single in the fourth inning.
Sunday (Game 2) – Royals 5, Red Sox 4 (10 innings) – Alex Gordon went 3-5 with a home run, and Lorenzo Cain walked with the bases loaded in the tenth inning as the Royals swept the doubleheader in Boston.
Seattle vs. Texas
Friday – Rangers 7, Mariners 0 – Yu Darvish dominated the Mariners as he struck out ten batters in seven innings, allowing just three hits for his 3rd win.
Saturday – Rangers 5, Mariners 0 – A.J. Pierzynski and David Murphy each hit solo HRs as the Rangers shutout the Mariners at home for the second consecutive day.
Sunday – Rangers 11, Mariners 3 – Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam and Adrian Beltre a 2-run HR as the Rangers finished the 3-game sweep of the Mariners at home.
Cleveland vs. Houston
Friday – Astros 3, Indians 2 – J.D. Martinez & Rick Ankiel hit back-to-back solo HRs in the second inning as the Astros hung on at home and ended their 5-game losing streak.
Saturday – Indians 16, Astros 9 – Jason Giambi, Mark Reynolds and Carlos Santana all homered for the Indians, and Nick Swisher went 4-7 as Cleveland jumped all over the Astros early, leading 14-0 after the second inning.
Sunday – Indians 5, Astros 4 – Mark Reynolds hit his seventh home run and the Indians hit four round-trippers in all as they took the last two games of the series with Houston.
Minnesota vs. Chicago White Sox
Friday – Postponed due to rain. No make-up date scheduled.
Saturday – Twins 2, White Sox 1 (10 innings) – Ryan Doumit doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the Twins won in Chicago.
Sunday – Twins 5, White Sox 3 – Josh Willingham hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the seventh inning as the Twins extended their winning streak to four games.
Arizona vs. Colorado
Friday – Rockies 3, Diamondbacks 1 - Jhoulys Chacin allowed just three hits into the seventh inning and Troy Tulowitzky hit a 2-run HR as the Rockies remained unbeaten at home (7-0).
Saturday – Rockies 4, Diamondbacks 3 – Jorge De La Rosa didn’t allow a run in six innings, and Michael Cuddyer homered as the Rockies improved to 8-0 at home.
Sunday – Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 4 – Rookie Didi Gregorius hit his second major league home run filling in for the injured Aaron Hill and singled to start a ninth inning rally that saw Arizona stop the Colorado’s home winning streak at 8 games.
Detroit vs. Los Angeles Angels
Friday – Angels 8, Tigers 1 – Peter Bourjos had 3 hits and 3 RBI for the Angels, and Tommy Hanson shutout the Tigers in six innings as the Angels scored five runs in the eighth inning to break the game wide open.
Saturday – Angels 10, Tigers 0 – Mike Trout hit a first inning grand slam as the Angels scored nine first inning runs in the romp of the Tigers.
Sunday – Angels 4, Tigers 3 (13 innings) – Mark Trumbo homered in the bottom of the 13th inning and Albert Pujols drove in two runs with a double as the Angels rallied to sweep the Tigers at home.
San Diego vs. San Francisco
Friday – Giants 3, Padres 2 – Angel Pagan doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the defending World Champions at home.
Saturday – Giants 2, Padres 0 – Tim Lincecum appeared his old dominant self as he struck out 8 into the seventh inning, and Pablo Sandoval provided all the scoring with a 2-run HR as the Giants shutout the Padres at home.
Sunday – Giants 5, Padres 0 – Barry Zito & Chad Gaudin held the Padres scoreless on just six hits, and Buster Posey hit his first home run of the season as the Giants swept the San Diego at home.
A.L. MVP Watch: Chris Davis, OF &1B, Baltimore (4th mention). Had seven hits, 3 runs and 1 HR over the weekend and leads the A.L. leading in batting average at .403, and is tied for the lead with 7 HRs, & 21 RBI.
N.L. MVP Watch: Bryce Harper, OF, Washington. Hit two HRs Saturday to bring his total to 7, and put him on pace for 65. Not bad for a 20-year old.
News & Notes – The Washington Nationals placed 3B Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day DL with a strained hamstring and promoted prize prospect Anthony Rendon.
History – Pittsburgh Pirates - Team History
The Pirates joined the National League in its sixth season in 1897 and have won 9 pennants and 5 World Series (all in seven games), beginning with their first one in 1909 over the Detroit Tigers in seven games behind Hall of Famer Honus Wagner. They waited 51 years before capturing their next World Series, in seven games again, over the heavily favored New York Yankees, when Bill Mazeroski hit the only game 7 walk-off home run in World Series history. The Pirates were outscored 45-27 in the series and came back from a 7-4 deficit in game 7. They won two more World Series in the 1970s, one in 1971 led by Hall of Famer Roberto Clement, and another in 1979 led by Willie Stargell. Both times they beat the Baltimore Orioles in seven games. However, the past 20 years have been extremely unkind to the Pirates and their fans as they haven’t recorded a winning season since 1992.
News & Notes – The Red Sox, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Player’s Association, and members of Red Sox Nation made a $646,500 donation to the One Boston Fund, the non-profit organization set up to help those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.
Trivia – Today’s Question – What pitcher holds the Twins franchise record for most career wins?
Yesterday’s Question: What pitcher holds the Kansas City Royals record for most career wins?
Answer: Paul Splittorf with 166 career wins from 1970-1984.
Vegas Bet: Lastly, here’s an actual bet you can make in Las Vegas casinos:
Over/Under 13 strikeouts by Houston hitters vs. Seattle tonight.
Yesterday’s Bet: Over/Under 15 combined strikeouts by Stephen Strasburg and Matt Harvey in the Mets-Nationals game Friday night.
Result: Under. They combined for 13 strikeouts.
Standings
| American League East | ||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk |
| Boston | 12 | 6 | - | L 2 |
| N.Y. Yankees | 10 | 7 | 1½ | L 1 |
| Baltimore | 10 | 8 | 2 | L 1 |
| Tampa Bay | 8 | 10 | 4 | W 3 |
| Toronto | 8 | 11 | 4½ | W 1 |
| American League Central | ||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk |
| Kansas City | 10 | 7 | - | W 2 |
| Minnesota | 8 | 7 | 1 | W 4 |
| Detroit | 9 | 9 | 1½ | L 4 |
| Cleveland | 7 | 10 | 3 | W 2 |
| Chi. White Sox | 7 | 11 | 3½ | L 3 |
| American League West | ||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk |
| Texas | 12 | 6 | - | W 3 |
| Oakland | 12 | 7 | ½ | L 3 |
| L.A. Angels | 7 | 10 | 4½ | W 3 |
| Seattle | 7 | 13 | 6 | L 3 |
| Houston | 5 | 13 | 7 | L 2 |
| National League | ||||
| National League East | ||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk |
| Atlanta | 13 | 5 | - | L 3 |
| Washington | 10 | 8 | 3 | L 1 |
| N.Y. Mets | 9 | 8 | 3½ | W 1 |
| Philadelphia | 8 | 11 | 5½ | W 1 |
| Miami | 4 | 15 | 9½ | L 2 |
| National League Central | ||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk |
| Cincinnati | 11 | 8 | - | W 2 |
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 8 | ½ | W 3 |
| St. Louis | 10 | 8 | ½ | L 1 |
| Milwaukee | 9 | 8 | 1 | W 7 |
| Chi. Cubs | 5 | 12 | 5 | L 3 |
| National League West | ||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk |
| Colorado | 13 | 5 | - | L 1 |
| San Francisco | 12 | 7 | 1½ | W 3 |
| Arizona | 10 | 8 | 3 | W 1 |
| L.A. Dodgers | 8 | 10 | 5 | W 1 |
| San Diego | 5 | 13 | 8 | L 3 |
Monday 4/22 Schedule
with probable pitchers in parentheses.
My picks to win are highlighted. Weekend Picks: 24-20 Overall: 144-123
Times EST
My picks to win are highlighted. Weekend Picks: 24-20 Overall: 144-123
Times EST
| 6:35 PM | Oakland | Griffin (2-0) | @ | Boston | Doubront (1-0) |
| 7:05 PM | Toronto | Happ (2-1) | @ | Baltimore | Tillman (0-1) |
| 7:05 PM | Pittsburgh | Burnett (1-2) | @ | Philadelphia | TBD |
| 7:05 PM | St. Louis | Miller (2-1) | @ | Washington | Haren (1-2) |
| 7:10 PM | Chi. Cubs | Wood (1-1) | @ | Cincinnati | Leake (1-0) |
| 7:10 PM | N.Y. Yankees | Sabathia (3-1) | @ | Tampa Bay | Moore (3-0) |
| 8:10 PM | Seattle | Hernandez (1-2) | @ | Houston | Peacock (1-1) |
| 8:10 PM | Miami | Nolasco (0-2) | @ | Minnesota | Correia (1-1) |
| 8:10 PM | Cleveland | Masterson (3-1) | @ | Chi. White Sox | Axelrod (0-1) |
| 8:40 PM | Atlanta | Minor (2-1) | @ | Colorado | Francis (1-1) |
| 10:05 PM | Texas | Holland (1-1) | @ | L.A. Angels | Blanton (0-3) |
| 10:10 PM | Milwaukee | Lohse (0-1) | @ | San Diego | Marquis (1-1) |
| 10:15 PM | Arizona | Miley (2-0) | @ | San Francisco | Vogelsong (1-1) |
No comments:
Post a Comment