Here’s your morning baseball
briefing:
Game of the Day for Wednesday Sept. 4
Boston Red Sox 20-4 vs. Detroit Tigers
What
seemed like just another baseball game after four innings and a 4-4 tie, suddenly
turned into a lopsided home run derby contest as Boston exploded for 16 runs,
including an eight in the sixth inning, capped with a grand slam home run from
third baseman Will Middlebrooks. The
Fenway crowd witnessed a franchise record tying eight home runs belted by
Boston hitters, including two from David Ortiz, who on this night collected his
2,000th major league hit, and passed Billy Williams for 47th on the all-time
home run list with 427. Other Red Sox home
runs came off the bats of Stephen Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, Daniel
Nava and Ryan Lavarnway. A home showdown
with the Yankees begins tonight, and Boston certainly has the firepower to run
away with the A.L. East.
Scores
Walk-Off
Win Streak – 1 Houston Astros, Arizona
Diamondbacks
Longest
Winning Streak - 3 New York Yankees
Longest
Losing Streak - 6 Chicago White Sox
League
Leaders
American
League:
Batting
Average- .355 Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Home Runs
- 47
Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
RBI - 130 Miguel Cabrera,
Detroit Tigers
Pitching
Wins – 19 Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers
Strikeouts
- 240
Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
E.R.A. - 2.68
Anibal Sanchez, Detroit Tigers
National
League
Batting
Average- .331 Michael Cuddyer, Colorado
Rockies
Home Runs
- 32
Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates
RBI - 104
Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Pitching
Wins – 16 Ryan Zimmerman (WAS), and Jorge De
La Rosa (COL)
Strikeouts
– 201 Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles
Dodgers
E.R.A. - 1.89 Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
MVP Watch
American
League: David Ortiz, 1B, Boston Red Sox
Yesterday:
3-5,
2 HRs, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored
Season: .313, 26 HRs, 89 RBI
On pace
for: .313,
30 HRs, 104 RBI
National
League: Brandon Phillips, 2B, Cincinnati Reds
Yesterday: 2-6,
1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 runs scored
Season: .268, 18 HRs, 100 RBI
On pace
for: .267,
20 HRs, 118 RBI
Cy Young
Watch
American
League: C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees
Yesterday: 7.1
IP, 5 hits, 3 runs and 4 K’s in a win vs. Chicago White Sox
Season: 13-11, 160 K’s and a 4.87 ERA
On pace
for: 15-13, 190 K’s and a 4.84 ERA
National
League:
Jordan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
Yesterday:
7 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs and 5 K’s in a win at
Philadelphia
Season: 16-8,
139 K’s and a 3.30 ERA
On pace
for: 18-9,
164 K’s and a 3.29 ERA
News & Notes
San Francisco
third baseman Pablo Sandoval hit three home runs in San Diego last night, the
second time he’s accomplished this. The
first time was in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series.
History
1981 World
Series – New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
The 1981
World Series matched the rivals Yankees and Dodgers for the third time in the
last five years, and capped a season marred by a player’s strike that interrupted
57 summer days of baseball. The Yankees added
another big bat before the season to compliment slugger Reggie Jackson with
outfielder Dave Winfield, who played in his first World Series. The Dodgers' pitching staff was hit hard in two
World Series losses to the Yankees in 1977 & 1978, but now featured rookie
sensation Fernando Valenzuela, who took Los Angeles by storm in 1981 by winning
the both the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award. “Fernandomania” was
born in Southern California.
New York had
home field advantage and the series started in the Bronx with two Yankee wins,
as Ron Guidry and Tommy John each pitched terrific games while reliever Goose Gossage
saved both the 5-3 and 3-0 wins.
Valenzuela
started Game 3 for the Dodgers and Los Angeles, and he gutted out a complete
game 5-4 win despite walking seven Yankees.
Game 4 was just as close, and Los Angeles chased Yankee starter Rick
Reuschel after three innings, and went on to win 8-7 to even the series at two. New York started their ace Ron Guidry in Game
5 and he was sharp through six, but in the seventh while clinging to a 1-0
lead, he surrendered back-to-back home runs to Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager,
and the Dodgers, behind a complete game from Jerry Reuss, won 2-1 to take a
narrow 3-2 series lead.
Facing
elimination in Game 6, New York starter Tommy John held the Los Angeles in
check for four innings in a 1-1 tie, but was lifted for a pinch-hitter who
flied out, and his night was done. Reliever
George Frazier started the fifth with the game still tied at two, and promptly
gave up three runs. Releiver Ron Davis
in the sixth was no better, as the Dodgers scored four more times on 3 walks, 2
hits and a pair of errors, including one on a wild throw from Winfield. Dodger outfielder Pedro Guerrero added
another run with a solo home run in the eighth, and Los Angeles won easily 9-2
to capture their fifth World Series title in franchise history, and first for
manager Tommy Lasorda. The miseries for
New York were apparent. Reliever George
Frazier set a World Series record in a seven game contest by losing three
games, while Winfield went 1-22 at the plate, prompting owner George
Steinbrenner to dub him “Mr. May” in contrast to the nickname “Mr. October”
earned by Reggie Jackson.
Los Angeles Wins 4-2
For the series, Los Angeles outscored New York 27-22 and
outhit them 51-46. Hall of Famers
included for the Dodgers: manager Tommy Lasorda; and for the Yankees: manager
Bob Lemon, pitcher Goose Gossage, and outfielders Reggie Jackson and Dave Winfield.
Tommorow:
1982 World Series – Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Trivia
Today’s
Question: Boston designated hitter David Ortiz reached 25 home runs
for the ninth time with the Red Sox second to only one man. Who, and how many seasons?
Yesterday’s
Question: What expansion team won the
World Series in the fewest years of existence?
Answer: Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, who won the
World Series in just their fourth year in the league.
House Bet
Over/Under combined 8
runs scored by St. Louis and Cincinnati in their game today.
Yesterday’s
Bet: Over/Under 2 runs allowed by Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano tonight in
Milwaukee.
Result: Over. Liriano allowed
7 earned runs.
Standings
| American League | National League | |||||||||
| EAST | W | L | GB | STRK | EAST | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Boston | 84 | 57 | - | Won 2 | Atlanta | 85 | 54 | - | Lost 1 | |
| Tampa Bay | 77 | 61 | 5.5 | Won 2 | Washington | 71 | 68 | 14 | Won 2 | |
| NY Yankees | 75 | 64 | 8 | Won 3 | NY Mets | 63 | 75 | 22 | Won 1 | |
| Baltimore | 73 | 65 | 9.5 | Lost 2 | Philadelphia | 63 | 77 | 23 | Lost 2 | |
| Toronto | 64 | 76 | 19.5 | Lost 1 | Miami | 52 | 86 | 33 | Lost 1 | |
| CENTRAL | W | L | GB | STRK | CENTRAL | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Detroit | 81 | 59 | - | Lost 2 | Pittsburgh | 81 | 58 | - | Lost 1 | |
| Cleveland | 74 | 65 | 6.5 | Won 2 | St. Louis | 80 | 59 | 1 | Won 1 | |
| Kansas City | 72 | 67 | 8.5 | Lost 1 | Cincinnati | 78 | 62 | 3.5 | Lost 1 | |
| Minnesota | 61 | 77 | 19 | Lost 1 | Milwaukee | 60 | 79 | 21 | Won 1 | |
| Chicago Sox | 56 | 82 | 24 | Lost 6 | Chicago Cubs | 59 | 80 | 22 | Won 1 | |
| WEST | W | L | GB | STRK | WEST | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Texas | 80 | 59 | - | Lost 1 | LA Dodgers | 83 | 56 | - | Lost 1 | |
| Oakland | 80 | 59 | - | Won 1 | Arizona | 70 | 68 | 13 | Won 1 | |
| LA Angels | 64 | 74 | 15.5 | Lost 2 | Colorado | 66 | 75 | 18 | Won 1 | |
| Seattle | 63 | 76 | 17 | Won 1 | San Francisco | 62 | 77 | 21 | Won 1 | |
| Houston | 46 | 93 | 34 | Won 1 | San Diego | 62 | 77 | 21 | Lost 1 | |
Schedule - Thursday September 6
Probable pitchers in parentheses, with my picks to win highlighted.
Yesterday’s Picks: 9-6
Overall: 846-638
Times EST
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