Here’s your
morning baseball briefing:
Game of the Day for Monday July 29:
Texas Rangers 4, Los Angeles Angels 3
The
Texas Rangers stunned the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night in Arlington when
they jacked two homers off Angels closer Ernesto Frieri in the bottom of the
ninth for the dramatic walk-off win.
Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler brought the Rangers to within 3-2 with
his eighth inning sacrifice fly, and catcher A.J. Pierzynski (playing DH) led
off the ninth with his eleventh homer to tie the game before a double play
brought the Angels within one out of the win.
Rangers starting catcher Geovanny Soto then lifted a ball over the left
field wall for the game-winning home run that culminated in a fist pump as he
rounded the bases followed by a mobbing by his teammates at home plate. The Angels have lost 8 of their last 10 and
are 14 games out of first place in the A.L. West while Texas finds themselves
just six games back of division leading Oakland.
Rest
of the day’s scores:
Consecutive
days with a walk-off win (where the home team scores the winning run in the
ninth inning or later that immediately ends the game): 2. The
Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves all
walked-off winners on Monday.
A.L. MVP
Watch: Edwin Encarnacion, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays
Yesterday:
1-4 with a homer and 2 RBI
Season: .278, 29 HRs, 84 RBI
On pace
for: .277, 44 HRs, 129 RBI and 103 runs scored
N.L. MVP
Watch: Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado Rockies
Yesterday:
5-5, 2 RBI, 2 stolen bases
Season: .306, 26 HRs, 69 RBI
and 21 stolen bases
On pace
for:
.306, 40 HRS, 106 RBI, 32 stolen bases and 111 runs
A.L. Cy
Young Watch: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
Yesterday:
7.1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run allowed and 8
K’s in a win vs. Boston.
Season: 6-5, 85 K’s and a
3.57 ERA (5-1 since returning from DL 7/2)
On pace
for:
9-7, 129 K’s and a 3.56 ERA
N.L. Cy
Young Watch: Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh Pirates
Yesterday:
7 IP, 4 hits, 1 run allowed and 8 K’s
in a win vs. St. Louis.
Season: 11-4, 100 K’s and a
2.16 ERA
On pace
for:
17-6, 155 K’s and a 2.11 ERA
News &
Notes: The Detroit Tigers traded minor league outfielder Danny Vasquez
and a player to be named later to the Houston Astros for closer Jose Veras.
The Chicago White Sox traded relief pitcher Jesse Crain plus
cash considerations to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later plus cash
considerations. Crain is currently on
the disabled list with a sore shoulder and it’s uncertain when he can pitch
again.
History –
1954 World Series
Winner: The New York Giants swept the Cleveland
Indians 4 games to 0.
Cleveland ran away with the American League
pennant in 1954 by winning a then A.L. record 111 games, advancing to their third
World Series in team history, having won in 1920 and 1948. The Giants reached their 14th World Series
(4-9 record) and first since winning the 1933 series against the Washington Senators. Cleveland had a superb pitching staff that
led the A.L. in ERA and complete games, led by Early Winn (32-11) and Bob Lemon
(23-7). The Giants, managed by Leo
Durocher, who reached his third World Series as a manager, also had a top
pitching staff, having led the N.L. in ERA and shutouts. This series also featured Willie Mays in his
peak, having hit .345 with 41 HRs and 110 RBI on the year.
The series
itself was a quick one, with the underdog Giants winning the first two games in
New York at the Polo Grounds 5-2 (in 10 innings) and 3-1 thanks to homers in
each game by pinch-hitter extraordinaire Dusty Rhodes. Game 1 is forever remembered for the catch
Willie Mays made over his shoulder running full speed to the centerfield wall,
a grab that is replayed over and over every year. They finished off the Indians in Cleveland
with 6-2 and 7-4 wins, and Cleveland Stadium wouldn’t host another playoff game
ever again as it was demolished in 1994, a year before the Indians made the
playoffs again.
Leo Durocher
won his first and only World Series title despite reaching the Fall Classic
with Brooklyn in 1941 and the Giants in 1951, and Willie Mays added his first
and only title as well (he hit .286 in the series with no homers and three
RBI). For the Giants it was their fifth
World Series title in franchise history.
In the series the Giants outscored the Indians 21-9 and outhit them
33-26. Hall-of Famers included for New
York: manager Leo Durocher, outfielders Willie Mays and Monte Irvin, and pitcher
Hoyt Wilhelm; and for Cleveland: manager Al Lopez, pitchers Early Wynn and Bob Lemon,
and outfielder Larry Doby.
Tomorrow: 1955 World Series – New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
(again)
Trivia -
Today’s Question: Cleveland
won a then A.L. record 111 games in 1954, but that mark was broken in 2001 by
what team?
Yesterday’s
Question: Billy Martin went on to manage the
Yankees five different times, and only once did he finish the season as a World
Champion. What year was that?
Answer: 1977. The Yankees beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in
six games.
Vegas Bet: Lastly, here’s an
actual bet you can make at a Las Vegas Sports Book: Over/Under 16 combined runs scored by the Cardinals
and Pirates in their doubleheader today.
Yesterday’s
Bet: Over/Under
5 runs allowed in the Angels-Rangers
game today featuring pitchers Jeff Weaver and Matt Garza.
Result: Over. Seven runs were scored as Texas won 4-3.
Standings
| American League East | National League East | |||||||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk | Team | W | L | GB | Strk | |
| Tampa Bay | 63 | 43 | - | W 1 | Atlanta | 61 | 45 | - | W 4 | |
| Boston | 63 | 44 | ½ | L 1 | Washington | 52 | 54 | 9 | W 3 | |
| Baltimore | 58 | 48 | 5 | L 2 | Philadelphia | 49 | 56 | 11½ | L 8 | |
| N.Y. Yankees | 55 | 50 | 7½ | W 1 | N.Y. Mets | 47 | 56 | 12½ | W 1 | |
| Toronto | 48 | 57 | 14½ | L 1 | Miami | 40 | 64 | 20 | L 1 | |
| American League Central | National League Central | |||||||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk | Team | W | L | GB | Strk | |
| Detroit | 59 | 45 | - | W 3 | St. Louis | 62 | 41 | - | L 4 | |
| Cleveland | 57 | 48 | 2½ | W 5 | Pittsburgh | 62 | 42 | ½ | W 1 | |
| Kansas City | 51 | 51 | 7 | W 6 | Cincinnati | 59 | 48 | 5 | L 4 | |
| Minnesota | 45 | 57 | 13 | L 1 | Chi. Cubs | 48 | 56 | 14½ | L 1 | |
| Chi. White Sox | 40 | 63 | 18½ | L 4 | Milwaukee | 44 | 61 | 19 | W 1 | |
| American League West | National League West | |||||||||
| Team | W | L | GB | Strk | Team | W | L | GB | Strk | |
| Oakland | 63 | 43 | - | W 4 | L.A. Dodgers | 56 | 48 | - | W 3 | |
| Texas | 57 | 49 | 6 | W 1 | Arizona | 54 | 51 | 2½ | L 2 | |
| Seattle | 50 | 55 | 12½ | W 1 | Colorado | 51 | 56 | 6½ | L 1 | |
| L.A. Angels | 48 | 56 | 14 | L 4 | San Diego | 49 | 58 | 8½ | W 3 | |
| Houston | 35 | 69 | 27 | L 1 | San Francisco | 46 | 58 | 10 | L 4 | |
Tuesday July 30 Schedule with probable pitchers in parentheses. My picks to win
are highlighted. Weekend picks: 7-2
Overall: 585-432
Times EST| 2:20 PM | Milwaukee | Gallardo (8-9) | @ | Chi. Cubs | Villanueva (2-7) |
| 4:05 PM | St. Louis | Lynn (12-5) | @ | Pittsburgh | Burnett (4-7) |
| 7:05 PM | Chi. White Sox | Peavy (8-4) | @ | Cleveland | Kazmir (6-4) |
| 7:05 PM | San Francisco | Zito (4-7) | @ | Philadelphia | Lannan (2-4) |
| 7:05 PM | Houston | Norris (6-9) | @ | Baltimore | Chen (5-3) |
| 7:08 PM | Washington | Strasburg (5-8) | @ | Detroit | Sanchez (8-7) |
| 7:10 PM | Colorado | Nicasio (6-4) | @ | Atlanta | Wood (0-2) |
| 7:10 PM | Seattle | Saunders (9-9) | @ | Boston | Workman (0-1) |
| 7:10 PM | N.Y. Mets | Wheeler (4-1) | @ | Miami | Eovaldi (2-1) |
| 7:10 PM | Arizona | Kennedy (3-7) | @ | Tampa Bay | Hernandez (5-11) |
| 7:35 PM | St. Louis | Lyons (2-3) | @ | Pittsburgh | Gomez (2-0) |
| 8:05 PM | Milwaukee | Thornburg (1-0) | @ | Chi. Cubs | Arrieta (1-2) |
| 8:05 PM | L.A. Angels | Wilson (11-6) | @ | Texas | Holland (8-6) |
| 8:10 PM | Kansas City | Santana (6-6) | @ | Minnesota | Pelfrey (4-8) |
| 10:05 PM | Toronto | Buehrle (6-7) | @ | Oakland | Straily (6-4) |
| 10:10 PM | Cincinnati | Latos (10-3) | @ | San Diego | Volquez (8-8) |
| 10:10 PM | N.Y. Yankees | Pettitte (7-8) | @ | L.A. Dodgers | Greinke (8-3) |
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