Here’s your
morning baseball briefing:
Game of the Day Monday August 19:
Miami Marlins 6, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
It
was a spectacle to see down in south Florida on Monday when two N.L. rookie of
the year candidates, Dodger outfielder Yasiel Puig and Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez
squared off in the summer heat. The two met
for the first time before the game, and talked in length, which is rare for
players who are about to face each other, and as it turns out they grew up just
45-mnutes apart in Cuba before each exiling to the United States. Fernandez and the Marlins beat the hottest
team in baseball as he struck out eight in six innings, getting Puig to go 0-5
on the night and striking him out once in three at-bats, while slugger Mike
Stanton blasted a bullet home run to center for a late insurance run. The Dodgers have now lost two in a row after
winning 32 of their last 40. It just
shows the old adage that good pitching beats good hitting.
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): 9. The Oakland A’s were the only team to walk-off winners on
Monday and Brandon Moss ended the game with a solo home run in the ninth.
Longest
Winning Streak: 4, by the Chicago White Sox
Longest
Losing Streak: 3, by the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals
A.L. MVP
Watch: Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers
Yesterday:
1-2 with an RBI and 2 walks
Season: .324, 25 HRs, 76 RBI
and 72 runs scored
On pace
for: .324, 32 HRs, 99 RBI and 94 runs
scored
N.L. MVP
Watch: Troy Tulowitzski, SS, Colorado Rockies
Yesterday: 2-4 with a single and a double
Season: .315, 21 HRs and 66
RBI
On pace
for:.315, 27 HRs and 86 RBI
A.L. Cy
Young Watch: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
Yesterday:
5 IP, 10 hits, 2 runs and 6 K’s in a
win vs. Baltimore
Season: 7-5, 106 K’s and a 3.29
ERA
On pace
for: 9-6, 140 K’s and a 3.25 ERA
N.L. Cy
Young Watch: Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh
Pirates
Yesterday: 7 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs and 13 K’s in a win vs. San Diego
Season: 14-5, 126 K’s and a
2.53 ERA
On pace
for: 18-6, 165 K’s and a 2.49 ERA
News &
Notes: The Los Angeles Angels announced Monday that first baseman
Albert Pujols will miss the rest of the season to recover from plantar fasciitis
in his right foot. He was batting .258
with 17 HRs and 64 RBI.
History –
1969 World Series
Winner: The New York Mets beat the
Baltimore Orioles 4 games to 1.
In the first World Series since 1956 to
involve a New York team other than the Yankees, the New York Mets found
themselves facing the extremely heavily favored Baltimore Orioles who assembled
one of the most talented teams ever. In only their eighth year of existence, having never finished higher
than ninth, were in their first ever World Series, managed by former Dodger
great Gil Hodges. Baltimore was looking
to rebound from their 1968 collapse to the Tigers, and had their arms and bats
loaded.
The Orioles had
home field advantage, and Game 1 began with a bang as Don Buford homered off
Met starter Tom Seaver to start the game, and the Orioles cruised to a 4-1
win. Jerry Koosman took the mound for
New York to face Dave McNally in Game 2, he took a no-hitter into
the seventh inning before allowing two singles to tie the game at 1-1. The Mets pushed across a run in the top of
the ninth on three consecutive singles, and Koosman labored through the his half of the ninth
before being replaced by Ron Taylor, who retired Brooks Robinson for the final
out with two runners aboard. The series
was tied at one heading to Queens.
Shea Stadium
hosted its’ first World Series when Baltimore game to town for Games 3,4 &
5, and little did the Queens faithful know, but they were about to witness a
miracle. Tommy Agee led off Game 3 with
a homer off future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, and he saved at least five more
runs with his glove in center on amazing diving catches as the Mets shutout
the Orioles 5-0. New York ace Tom Seaver
returned to the hill for Game 4 and pitched eight shutout innings, but
allowed the tying run to score in the ninth, and the game went to extra
innings tied at one. New York pushed across a run in
the top of the tenth on a single and an error, and hung on to win 2-1. Suddenly they had a 3-1
series lead with one more home game.
The Mets
trailed 3-0 halfway through Game 5, and scored twice in the sixth, as Dave
McNally bounced a ball at the feet of batter Cleon Jones - but the New York claimed
it hit Jones. The ball rolled into the Met
dugout where manager Gil Hodges showed the umpire a scuff mark on it that
allegedly came from Jones’ shoe. He was
awarded first base, and the next batter Ron Swoboda belted a two–run homer to
cut the Oriole lead to 3-2. Years
later it was revealed by Jerry Koosman that Hodges told him to rub the ball on
his foot before giving it to him.
Believe it or not, that’s how the Mets comeback started. Swoboda would double in the go-ahead run in
the eighth, and the Miracle Mets as they’ve been forever dubbed, went on to win
5-3 for their first World Series in franchise history. They became the first expansion team to take
the title as well.
For the
series, the Mets outscored the Orioles 15-9 and outhit them 35-23. Hall of Famers playing included for New York:
pitchers Tom Seaver and a very young Nolan Ryan; and for the Orioles: manager
Earl Weaver, third baseman Brooks Robinson, and outfielder Frank Robinson.
Tomorrow: 1970 World Series – Baltimore Orioles vs. Cincinnati Reds
Trivia -
Today’s Question: What other New York sports team pulled of miracle of its’
own in 1969?
Yesterday’s Question: Detroit pitcher Denny McClain won 31 games
in 1968, still the modern day record, but what pitcher came the closest to 31
wins and is second on that list? How
many games did he win?
Answer: Hal Newhouser, who won 29 games for the Detroit Tigers in
1944.
Vegas Bet: Lastly, here’s an
actual bet you can make at a Las Vegas Sports Book: Over/Under 1 time Alex Rodriguez gets hit by a
pitch in today’s doubleheader with Toronto.
Yesterday’s
Bet: Over/Under
7 strikeouts by Marlins rookie Jose
Fernandez today vs. the Dodgers.
Result: Over. Fernandez struck out 8.
Standings
| American League | National League | |||||||||
| EAST | W | L | GB | STRK | EAST | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Boston | 74 | 53 | - | Won 1 | Atlanta | 76 | 48 | - | Won 1 | |
| Tampa Bay | 71 | 52 | 1 | Won 2 | Washington | 60 | 64 | 16 | Lost 2 | |
| Baltimore | 67 | 57 | 5.5 | Lost 1 | NY Mets | 57 | 66 | 18.5 | Won 1 | |
| NY Yankees | 64 | 59 | 8 | Won 1 | Philadelphia | 55 | 69 | 21 | Won 2 | |
| Toronto | 57 | 67 | 15.5 | Lost 1 | Miami | 48 | 75 | 27.5 | Won 2 | |
| CENTRAL | W | L | GB | STRK | CENTRAL | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Detroit | 73 | 51 | - | Won 2 | Pittsburgh | 73 | 51 | - | Won 1 | |
| Cleveland | 67 | 58 | 6.5 | Won 1 | St. Louis | 72 | 52 | 1 | Won 3 | |
| Kansas City | 64 | 59 | 8.5 | Lost 2 | Cincinnati | 71 | 54 | 2.5 | Won 2 | |
| Minnesota | 54 | 69 | 18.5 | Lost 4 | Chicago Cubs | 54 | 70 | 19 | Won 1 | |
| Chicago Sox | 49 | 74 | 23.5 | Won 3 | Milwaukee | 54 | 71 | 19.5 | Lost 2 | |
| WEST | W | L | GB | STRK | WEST | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Texas | 72 | 53 | - | Won 1 | LA Dodgers | 72 | 52 | - | Lost 2 | |
| Oakland | 71 | 53 | 0.5 | Won 2 | Arizona | 64 | 59 | 7.5 | Lost 1 | |
| Seattle | 57 | 67 | 14.5 | Lost 1 | Colorado | 58 | 68 | 15 | Lost 3 | |
| LA Angels | 55 | 69 | 16.5 | Lost 2 | San Diego | 56 | 69 | 16.5 | Lost 1 | |
| Houston | 41 | 83 | 30.5 | Lost 1 | San Francisco | 55 | 69 | 17 | Lost 2 | |
Schedule for Tuesday August 20 with probable pitchers in parentheses. My picks to win
are highlighted. Yesterday’s Picks: 7-5
Overall:
727-551
Times EST
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