The Mets blanked the Redbirds behind the resurgent R.A. Dickey’s remarkable 8 1/3 innings of four-hit ball. The New York hurler, pitching on three days’ rest, pulled away from Citi Field with his seventh victory of the season as the Mets prevailed 4-0 over St. Louis. Thursday’s win propelled the Mets to take two out of three games against the rival Redbirds. It was New York’s fifth win in their last 18 tries. For Tony LaRussa’s Cardinals, Thursday was the tenth time the team has been shutout this year.
The Mets have played three 13 inning games in the last eight days, but showed no ill effects at the plate last night against Cardinal starter, Blake Hawksworth. Jose Reyes doubled to lead off the third inning and advanced on Angel Pagan’s drag bunt between the mound and first base to get the Mets’ offense rolling. Ike Davis drove the first pitch he saw from Hawksworth three rows deep to center for a three run bomb and 3-0 Mets lead. The stellar first baseman for New York reached base in all four at-bats Thursday, drawing three walks in addition to his three RBIs. Davis has 52 RBIs this season and 15 homeruns. He also started a pair of double plays at first base. The Mets scored again during a three hit fifth inning, with Carlos Beltran earning an RBI single following Pagan’s seventh triple of the season. New York left 18 runners on base, however, an ongoing probably for Jerry Manuel’s team.
Dickey was smooth sailing through eight innings, allowing only a first inning double by Jon Jay and a fifth frame leadoff slap by Ryan Ludwick before a pair of eighth and ninth inning base hits by Skip Schumaker and Colby Rasmus. It was the lengthiest outing of the year for Dickey, and one of the best of his career. Francisco Rodriguez was summoned from the Mets’ bullpen to record the final two outs of the game. KRod succeeded in getting the league’s best slugger, Albert Pujols, to fly out and retired power-hitting outfielder, Matt Holliday a game-ending strikeout. St. Louis is 56-46, a half a game behind Cincinnati in the NL Central.
Parting Points: Feel good Friday band- The Supremes
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Go-to Guide for Greatness
Not sure how to start your sports column after covering another no-hitter? Here’s a quick go-to guide to aid you in your writing. All you need are paper, a pen, a personality and two cups of coffee.
1) Always begin with facts from the game (score). Crowd size could be mentioned here or in step 3.
2) Mention a recent fact such as the number of no hitters this season or by the teams involved.
3) You have two options—plug in a quote from the pitcher about how this is a dream come true for him OR wrap up the first paragraph with an overall sense of the atmosphere at the stadium (crowd size, excitement level)
4) Background information about the pitcher should be established
5) Statistics from the no-hitter
6) Sugar-coated quotes from the manager (limit to one sentence)
7) Historical data about almost anything related to baseball works here
8) Talk a bit about the opposing team’s struggles at the plate
9) Mention any defensive plays that stood out (game-saving grabs are very effective)
10) Paint a pretty picture of the pitcher by saying how much he’s overcome in his life
11) Wrap it up with another quote from someone involved in the game or simply end your column with a generic phrase such as “Joe Blow will cherish this game for the rest of his career and life.”
Twenty-six year old Matt Garza pitched the majors’ fifth no-hitter of the year yesterday. Tampa’s terrific-tossing hurler blanked the Tigers 5-0 and became the first pitcher in franchise history to earn the honor. As a sportswriter, it must be challenging to cover no-hitters. There are usually minimal highlights to catalogue from the game, at least from the team being “no-hit”. It’s almost like doing a performance appraisal on an employee and coming away without any improvements or criticisms. (Excuse the HR reference—I am taking an HRM course this summer) That isn’t to say Garza was absolutely perfect last night while he was spinning a hitless gem.
Writers tend to fill their columns with quotes from teammates, historical facts about no-hitters and various statistics whenever a no-hitter is involved. It’s a good idea to at least mention some biographical information about the latest pitching star. Columnists and beat writers commonly tag this on to the end of a story. In Garza’s case, it’s particularly important to note his baseball attributes since many fans are not familiar with him. Even casual baseball aficionados may not recall Garza and his mid-90’s fastball winning the AL Championship Series MVP in 2008. Yes, Garza has a World Series ring. He joined the Rays in 2007 in a trade with the Twins.
One fact writers are probably going to eat up is how Garza was 0-4 lifetime against Detroit prior to Monday’s contest. Everybody loves a feel-good story about a guy who overcomes an obstacle. Here we have Garza, who allowed seven runs in a six inning outing in his previous start. Garza issued a second inning walk and then did not allow another base runner the entire game. He fanned six Tigers and tossed 120 pitches in the victory. Garza attacked the zone and made the proper adjustments with his electric stuff. Some experts might point to how the Tigers’ lineup is stacked with rookies and backups. I don’t think the absence of veteran hitters should take away from Garza’s feat. Another aspect about this particular game is the incredible pitching from Detroit’s end. Max Scherzer was rolling early and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning. Matt Joyce smacked a grand slam to end Scherzer’s shutout bid after the no-no was erased.
Garza’s no-hitter should set the tone for a four-game set between the Rays and Tigers. Or, it could motivate the Tigers to knock the snot out of the next three Tampa tossers they face. Detroit hasn’t been no-hit since Randy Johnson stunned the cats 20 years ago. Detroit writers should be sure to work in an element of pity for the organization as a whole. The Tigers were robbed of a no-hitter earlier in the season and last night suffered the fate of being Tampa’s first hitless victims. The Rays are no strangers to being no-hit, leading the league in that category in recent years. I am sure it feels fantastic to finish on the better side of the no-hitter for Tampa. Several teams can relate to the elation of a no-hitter thanks to 2010---the year of the pitcher (I am sure just about every sportswriter will reference this too).
Parting Points: Maurice Clarett is returning to school. This is newsworthy?
Throwbacker of the day- “Don’t Turn Around” by Ace Of Base
1) Always begin with facts from the game (score). Crowd size could be mentioned here or in step 3.
2) Mention a recent fact such as the number of no hitters this season or by the teams involved.
3) You have two options—plug in a quote from the pitcher about how this is a dream come true for him OR wrap up the first paragraph with an overall sense of the atmosphere at the stadium (crowd size, excitement level)
4) Background information about the pitcher should be established
5) Statistics from the no-hitter
6) Sugar-coated quotes from the manager (limit to one sentence)
7) Historical data about almost anything related to baseball works here
8) Talk a bit about the opposing team’s struggles at the plate
9) Mention any defensive plays that stood out (game-saving grabs are very effective)
10) Paint a pretty picture of the pitcher by saying how much he’s overcome in his life
11) Wrap it up with another quote from someone involved in the game or simply end your column with a generic phrase such as “Joe Blow will cherish this game for the rest of his career and life.”
Twenty-six year old Matt Garza pitched the majors’ fifth no-hitter of the year yesterday. Tampa’s terrific-tossing hurler blanked the Tigers 5-0 and became the first pitcher in franchise history to earn the honor. As a sportswriter, it must be challenging to cover no-hitters. There are usually minimal highlights to catalogue from the game, at least from the team being “no-hit”. It’s almost like doing a performance appraisal on an employee and coming away without any improvements or criticisms. (Excuse the HR reference—I am taking an HRM course this summer) That isn’t to say Garza was absolutely perfect last night while he was spinning a hitless gem.
Writers tend to fill their columns with quotes from teammates, historical facts about no-hitters and various statistics whenever a no-hitter is involved. It’s a good idea to at least mention some biographical information about the latest pitching star. Columnists and beat writers commonly tag this on to the end of a story. In Garza’s case, it’s particularly important to note his baseball attributes since many fans are not familiar with him. Even casual baseball aficionados may not recall Garza and his mid-90’s fastball winning the AL Championship Series MVP in 2008. Yes, Garza has a World Series ring. He joined the Rays in 2007 in a trade with the Twins.
One fact writers are probably going to eat up is how Garza was 0-4 lifetime against Detroit prior to Monday’s contest. Everybody loves a feel-good story about a guy who overcomes an obstacle. Here we have Garza, who allowed seven runs in a six inning outing in his previous start. Garza issued a second inning walk and then did not allow another base runner the entire game. He fanned six Tigers and tossed 120 pitches in the victory. Garza attacked the zone and made the proper adjustments with his electric stuff. Some experts might point to how the Tigers’ lineup is stacked with rookies and backups. I don’t think the absence of veteran hitters should take away from Garza’s feat. Another aspect about this particular game is the incredible pitching from Detroit’s end. Max Scherzer was rolling early and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning. Matt Joyce smacked a grand slam to end Scherzer’s shutout bid after the no-no was erased.
Garza’s no-hitter should set the tone for a four-game set between the Rays and Tigers. Or, it could motivate the Tigers to knock the snot out of the next three Tampa tossers they face. Detroit hasn’t been no-hit since Randy Johnson stunned the cats 20 years ago. Detroit writers should be sure to work in an element of pity for the organization as a whole. The Tigers were robbed of a no-hitter earlier in the season and last night suffered the fate of being Tampa’s first hitless victims. The Rays are no strangers to being no-hit, leading the league in that category in recent years. I am sure it feels fantastic to finish on the better side of the no-hitter for Tampa. Several teams can relate to the elation of a no-hitter thanks to 2010---the year of the pitcher (I am sure just about every sportswriter will reference this too).
Parting Points: Maurice Clarett is returning to school. This is newsworthy?
Throwbacker of the day- “Don’t Turn Around” by Ace Of Base
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Rich in Relief
New York Mets’ southpaw starter-turned-reliever, Oliver Perez, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 12th inning of yesterday’s game against the Dodgers. Perez, activated from the disabled list Tuesday, gave up a game winning homerun to James Loney in the bottom of the 13th as Los Angeles clipped the Mets 3-2. Loney drove Perez’s 1-0 offering into the seats in right-center field, giving L.A. a walk-off victory and making a winner out of much-maligned reliever, George Sherrill. Sherrill, the Dodgers’ eighth reliever used during the game, earned his first win after pitching a perfect 13th frame. Perez took the loss for New York, his fourth of the year.
The Mets were charged with two errors during the road contest yesterday. L.A.’s Rafael Furcal singled past Mets’ shortstop, Jose Reyes, to lead of the bottom of the first. The ground ball was playable but Furcal was credited with a single. Mets hurler, Mike Pelfrey, attempted to pick-off Furcal at first base, but launched the throw wide right to Ike Davis, allowing the runner to advance to third base. Joe Torre’s Dodgers needed only a sacrifice fly to ring in a tally, and the offense did just that. Xavier Paul, the Dodgers’ number two hitter, lifted a fly to right field to drive Furcal home for the 1-0 L.A. lead.
Carlos Monasterios kept the Mets off the scoreboard with five solid innings of six hit ball. New York loaded the bases in the fourth inning but failed to cross the plate. David Wright led off the fourth with a single. The third baseman reached second on Monasterios’ balk before Carlos Beltran drew a full count walk. Jason Bay, somewhat breaking out of a batting slump, slapped a base hit to left to load the bags for New York. Monasterios retired the next two Mets to end any scoring threats.
The Dodgers tallied their second run in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers’ Blake Dewitt got L.A. started with a one-out triple. New York skipper, Jerry Manuel, decided it would be best to intentionally walk Garret Anderson. The move did not pay off for the Mets because Brad Ausmus singled up the middle to send Dewitt home. Pelfrey lasted five innings for New York and was removed for a pinch hitter in the sixth. The New York starter was effective despite the two blemishes. His team’s offense was ineffective, however.
The visitors finally found the plate in the top of the sixth off James McDonald. McDonald faced four batters and only recorded one out. Davis doubled to center off McDonald and was brought home on Rod Barajas’ base hit to left. Reyes earned his 35th RBI of the season when he singled home Bay in the Mets’ three hit sixth frame. Reyes’ base hit came off reliever Jack Taschner. Taschner is still looking for his first out as a Dodger pitcher. Travis Schlichting entered for the white and blue after Taschner loaded the bases. Schlichting needed only one pitch to induce a double play by Luis Castillo for the third out.
The game remained knotted at 2-2 as the teams combined to use 14 men out of the bullpen. Kenley Jansen was perhaps the most impressive of the Dodgers’ relief core. The converted catcher threw a one-two-three seventh frame, striking out two Mets in an impressive major league debut. Jansen faced the heart of the Mets’ lineup in a tie ballgame without flinching. Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton also set down the New York batters with scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Jeff Weaver provided the Dodgers dominant relief through two extra innings before handing it over to Sherrill. Raul Valdes, Manny Acosta, Pedro Feliciano, Bobby Parnell and Elmer Dessens were all summoned from Manuel’s bullpen. The five relievers combined to allow just two hits through six innings. L.A.’s Clayton Kershaw will face R.A. Dickey in the series finale today.
Parting Points: Thoughts and prayers go out to Bill Cowher and his family.
Congrats to the Hall of Fame inductees. It’s great to see another Expos player in there!
ARod is still sitting on 599 homeruns. I doubt he will receive any praise if he hits #600 on the road, so he better club one today at home.
The Mets were charged with two errors during the road contest yesterday. L.A.’s Rafael Furcal singled past Mets’ shortstop, Jose Reyes, to lead of the bottom of the first. The ground ball was playable but Furcal was credited with a single. Mets hurler, Mike Pelfrey, attempted to pick-off Furcal at first base, but launched the throw wide right to Ike Davis, allowing the runner to advance to third base. Joe Torre’s Dodgers needed only a sacrifice fly to ring in a tally, and the offense did just that. Xavier Paul, the Dodgers’ number two hitter, lifted a fly to right field to drive Furcal home for the 1-0 L.A. lead.
Carlos Monasterios kept the Mets off the scoreboard with five solid innings of six hit ball. New York loaded the bases in the fourth inning but failed to cross the plate. David Wright led off the fourth with a single. The third baseman reached second on Monasterios’ balk before Carlos Beltran drew a full count walk. Jason Bay, somewhat breaking out of a batting slump, slapped a base hit to left to load the bags for New York. Monasterios retired the next two Mets to end any scoring threats.
The Dodgers tallied their second run in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers’ Blake Dewitt got L.A. started with a one-out triple. New York skipper, Jerry Manuel, decided it would be best to intentionally walk Garret Anderson. The move did not pay off for the Mets because Brad Ausmus singled up the middle to send Dewitt home. Pelfrey lasted five innings for New York and was removed for a pinch hitter in the sixth. The New York starter was effective despite the two blemishes. His team’s offense was ineffective, however.
The visitors finally found the plate in the top of the sixth off James McDonald. McDonald faced four batters and only recorded one out. Davis doubled to center off McDonald and was brought home on Rod Barajas’ base hit to left. Reyes earned his 35th RBI of the season when he singled home Bay in the Mets’ three hit sixth frame. Reyes’ base hit came off reliever Jack Taschner. Taschner is still looking for his first out as a Dodger pitcher. Travis Schlichting entered for the white and blue after Taschner loaded the bases. Schlichting needed only one pitch to induce a double play by Luis Castillo for the third out.
The game remained knotted at 2-2 as the teams combined to use 14 men out of the bullpen. Kenley Jansen was perhaps the most impressive of the Dodgers’ relief core. The converted catcher threw a one-two-three seventh frame, striking out two Mets in an impressive major league debut. Jansen faced the heart of the Mets’ lineup in a tie ballgame without flinching. Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton also set down the New York batters with scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Jeff Weaver provided the Dodgers dominant relief through two extra innings before handing it over to Sherrill. Raul Valdes, Manny Acosta, Pedro Feliciano, Bobby Parnell and Elmer Dessens were all summoned from Manuel’s bullpen. The five relievers combined to allow just two hits through six innings. L.A.’s Clayton Kershaw will face R.A. Dickey in the series finale today.
Parting Points: Thoughts and prayers go out to Bill Cowher and his family.
Congrats to the Hall of Fame inductees. It’s great to see another Expos player in there!
ARod is still sitting on 599 homeruns. I doubt he will receive any praise if he hits #600 on the road, so he better club one today at home.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Rubber Rewind
The A’s took down the Red Sox 6-4 in the rubber match of a three game set in Oakland. Whenever Boston battles the junior league from the Bay Area, it usually results in a heated and tense contest. This series on the West Coast was no different from series between the rivals over the past few seasons. Adrian Beltre singled in a run, and stole second base in the top of the Boston first frame to give the Red Sox an early edge. It was the only lead the visitors would hold Wednesday night. Oakland’s offense awakened, coming alive to pound out 12 total hits. Boston starter, Clay Buchholz was shelled for his fifth loss, yielding five runs over four plus innings. Fresh off the disabled list, Buchholz was not sharp, exiting the game after failing to record an out in the fifth.
Red-hot Oakland took their third straight series thanks to 31 year old Matt Watson’s first major-league homerun. The journeyman outfielder clubbed a solo shot off the scoreboard in right field, leading the A’s to their seventh win in their last eight tries. Jack Cust followed Watson’s lead by hitting his fourth homerun in seven games. The designated hitter for power-challenged Oakland took Buchholz deep in the bottom of the third and finished 2-for-3. Cust’s two run blast padded the A’s advantage to two runs providing hurler, Gio Gonzalez, a small cushion to work with.
Gonzalez allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings of work. Oakland’s defense turned in a superb performance with more dazzling double plays and diving outfield grabs. The Red Sox made it a one run game, closing in on the home team when Jed Lowrie drove in teammate, Bill Hall for the second Boston tally. The A’s responded in the home half of the fifth with three runs on four hits. Boston reliever, Scott Atchison gave up a one-out single to Mark Ellis to score Kurt Suzuki. Rajai Davis singled to center, notching a pair of RBIs and giving the A’s a 6-2 advantage.
Gonzalez ran into more trouble in the six after allowing a single by Kevin Youkilis and a homerun by Beltre. For Beltre, it was his 16th long ball of the year, putting the Sox within two runs of tying the game. The A’s bullpen was strong with Henry Rodriguez pitching around a pair of seventh inning walks and Brad Ziegler nailing down three outs in the eighth. Oakland’s Coco Crisp smacked a triple in the eighth but was tagged out at the plate trying to score on a fly ball from Cliff Pennington. Crisp’s extra base hit was a positive note for the slumping A’s slugger, who was dropped to ninth in the lineup. Michael Wuertz was perfect in the ninth for his second save of the year.
Parting Points: Sad song of the day- Colbie Caillat’s “I Never Told You”
Cool player for Thursday- the Yankees’ Colin Curtis
RIP Ralph Houk
Red-hot Oakland took their third straight series thanks to 31 year old Matt Watson’s first major-league homerun. The journeyman outfielder clubbed a solo shot off the scoreboard in right field, leading the A’s to their seventh win in their last eight tries. Jack Cust followed Watson’s lead by hitting his fourth homerun in seven games. The designated hitter for power-challenged Oakland took Buchholz deep in the bottom of the third and finished 2-for-3. Cust’s two run blast padded the A’s advantage to two runs providing hurler, Gio Gonzalez, a small cushion to work with.
Gonzalez allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings of work. Oakland’s defense turned in a superb performance with more dazzling double plays and diving outfield grabs. The Red Sox made it a one run game, closing in on the home team when Jed Lowrie drove in teammate, Bill Hall for the second Boston tally. The A’s responded in the home half of the fifth with three runs on four hits. Boston reliever, Scott Atchison gave up a one-out single to Mark Ellis to score Kurt Suzuki. Rajai Davis singled to center, notching a pair of RBIs and giving the A’s a 6-2 advantage.
Gonzalez ran into more trouble in the six after allowing a single by Kevin Youkilis and a homerun by Beltre. For Beltre, it was his 16th long ball of the year, putting the Sox within two runs of tying the game. The A’s bullpen was strong with Henry Rodriguez pitching around a pair of seventh inning walks and Brad Ziegler nailing down three outs in the eighth. Oakland’s Coco Crisp smacked a triple in the eighth but was tagged out at the plate trying to score on a fly ball from Cliff Pennington. Crisp’s extra base hit was a positive note for the slumping A’s slugger, who was dropped to ninth in the lineup. Michael Wuertz was perfect in the ninth for his second save of the year.
Parting Points: Sad song of the day- Colbie Caillat’s “I Never Told You”
Cool player for Thursday- the Yankees’ Colin Curtis
RIP Ralph Houk
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Devil of a Deal
The New Jersey Devils succeeded in snagging the services of Ilya Kovalchuk. The NHL’s most prominent free agent of 2010 chose to resign with the Devils, inking a reported 17 year deal worth an estimated $102 million. New Jersey outbid the LA Kings and New York Islanders for the 27 year old Russian native.
In Kovalchuk, the Devils signed a great competitor with superior scoring and moderate defensive skills. They have a former number one draft pick and three-time All-Star. Locking up a professional athlete for the long-term is not without risk, however. What bothers me most about the signing is not the truckloads of cash the organization shelled out to Kovalchuk. It’s not even the team’s 17 year commitment to a player who is already in his prime. What the Devils essentially did Monday was slap the franchise tag on an athlete who has been part of the team for less than a year. How would you feel if you were Zach Parise or Travis Zajac? Zajac was selected in the fourth round in 2004 and has been with New Jersey since. Parise is already an established league player, an Olympic hero and the face of the franchise. He was an original Devils draft pick. In marches Kovalchuk with one playoff win under his belt (in eight tries) and the focus shifts to New Jersey building a team around him. It doesn’t seem fair.
From a purely financial standpoint, the Kovalchuk deal flops. The amount of money is not as lucrative as the longevity of the contract would dictate. The contract is front-loaded and expires when Kovalchuk is 44 years old. How many players are still scoring goals with relative frequency at 44? The organization is tying up money that could be utilized more appropriately down the road. Kovalchuk’s value is high, but unless he turns out to be the next Wayne Gretzky, or Scott Stevens for that matter, the Devils are the losers in the end. Time will dictate Kovalchuk’s legacy in New Jersey. Personally, I thought the Kings were the best fit for the Russian player. LA boasts a younger squad and is headed in a more positive direction than I feel the Devils are at this time. Would anyone in their right mind really choose Newark over Los Angeles? It should be a stimulating next decade and a half for the Devils. See you in 2026 for a follow-up assessment of this devil of a deal.
Parting Points: Andy Pettitte’s out for a few weeks. This does not bode well for New York, but I feel the team will be able to sufficiently fill his slot.
In Kovalchuk, the Devils signed a great competitor with superior scoring and moderate defensive skills. They have a former number one draft pick and three-time All-Star. Locking up a professional athlete for the long-term is not without risk, however. What bothers me most about the signing is not the truckloads of cash the organization shelled out to Kovalchuk. It’s not even the team’s 17 year commitment to a player who is already in his prime. What the Devils essentially did Monday was slap the franchise tag on an athlete who has been part of the team for less than a year. How would you feel if you were Zach Parise or Travis Zajac? Zajac was selected in the fourth round in 2004 and has been with New Jersey since. Parise is already an established league player, an Olympic hero and the face of the franchise. He was an original Devils draft pick. In marches Kovalchuk with one playoff win under his belt (in eight tries) and the focus shifts to New Jersey building a team around him. It doesn’t seem fair.
From a purely financial standpoint, the Kovalchuk deal flops. The amount of money is not as lucrative as the longevity of the contract would dictate. The contract is front-loaded and expires when Kovalchuk is 44 years old. How many players are still scoring goals with relative frequency at 44? The organization is tying up money that could be utilized more appropriately down the road. Kovalchuk’s value is high, but unless he turns out to be the next Wayne Gretzky, or Scott Stevens for that matter, the Devils are the losers in the end. Time will dictate Kovalchuk’s legacy in New Jersey. Personally, I thought the Kings were the best fit for the Russian player. LA boasts a younger squad and is headed in a more positive direction than I feel the Devils are at this time. Would anyone in their right mind really choose Newark over Los Angeles? It should be a stimulating next decade and a half for the Devils. See you in 2026 for a follow-up assessment of this devil of a deal.
Parting Points: Andy Pettitte’s out for a few weeks. This does not bode well for New York, but I feel the team will be able to sufficiently fill his slot.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Hurling Hurry
Minnesota right-hander, Carl Pavano, tossed his fourth complete game and earned his sixth consecutive decision after the Twins edged the Whitesox 3-2 at Target Field Saturday. Pavano outdueled Chicago lefty, Mark Buehrle, to improve his record to 11-6 and stifle the central division rival Whitesox. Buehrle’s only blemish was a three-run second inning where the Twins grabbed the lead for good. Two of the game’s fastest workers, Pavano outpitched Buehrle to help Minnesota pull within two and a half games of division-leading Chicago. It was the shortest Twins game since 2007. Pavano struck out six, gave up seven hits and did not issue a walk through the complete outing.
Chicago got on board in the top of the first on Paul Konerko’s single to right. Konerko remained a nemesis for the Minnesota hurler, launching his 21st homerun of the year in the fourth to put the Sox within one run of tying the game. Konerko now has 66 RBIs on the season. Pavano got into a rhythm, however, buckling down and throttling the south side sluggers. Delmon Young, Jason Kubel and Danny Valencia provided all the offense the Twins would need to back their starter. The heart of Chicago’s order came through with the bats in the second frame. Young, who leads the Twins in RBIs, singled in the first Minnesota tally and Kubel followed with a RBI triple. Valencia nearly missed a homerun off Buehrle, settling instead for a run-scoring double to give his team a 3-1 lead. The Twins were distinguished on defense too. Chicago speedster, Juan Pierre, was thrown out by rookie backstop, Drew Butera, stealing second base with two outs in the eighth.
The Whitesox threatened in the top of the ninth but Pavano escaped the jam. Omar Vizquel led off the inning with a double, representing the tying run for the visiting team. Pavano retired the next three batters and finished with 104 pitches thrown. The Sox look to get back to their pre-break surge again in game two tonight at Target Field. Nick Blackburn opposes Chicago’s Freddy Garcia.
Parting Points: Brad Miller to the Rockets?
Nice going, A.J. Burnett.
Chicago got on board in the top of the first on Paul Konerko’s single to right. Konerko remained a nemesis for the Minnesota hurler, launching his 21st homerun of the year in the fourth to put the Sox within one run of tying the game. Konerko now has 66 RBIs on the season. Pavano got into a rhythm, however, buckling down and throttling the south side sluggers. Delmon Young, Jason Kubel and Danny Valencia provided all the offense the Twins would need to back their starter. The heart of Chicago’s order came through with the bats in the second frame. Young, who leads the Twins in RBIs, singled in the first Minnesota tally and Kubel followed with a RBI triple. Valencia nearly missed a homerun off Buehrle, settling instead for a run-scoring double to give his team a 3-1 lead. The Twins were distinguished on defense too. Chicago speedster, Juan Pierre, was thrown out by rookie backstop, Drew Butera, stealing second base with two outs in the eighth.
The Whitesox threatened in the top of the ninth but Pavano escaped the jam. Omar Vizquel led off the inning with a double, representing the tying run for the visiting team. Pavano retired the next three batters and finished with 104 pitches thrown. The Sox look to get back to their pre-break surge again in game two tonight at Target Field. Nick Blackburn opposes Chicago’s Freddy Garcia.
Parting Points: Brad Miller to the Rockets?
Nice going, A.J. Burnett.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Victory's Voice
All-star Yankee, Nick Swisher, launched a game-tying homerun to lead off the eighth inning against the Tampa Rays Friday in New York. Swisher planted Joaquin Benoit’s 2-1 offering into the stadium seats to knot the AL East rivalry game at 4-4. An inning later, the Yankee slugger drove home the winning run off Lance Cormier as New York bested the Rays 5-4. Mariano Rivera was the winning pitcher after completing a scoreless ninth. The walk-off victory was a fitting way to begin the season’s second half for the defending champions. It was an emotional night in the Bronx, as the team paid tribute to the late owner, George Steinbrenner and public address announcer, Bob Sheppard.
The Rays had an early advantage in a back-and-forth affair in which Tampa scattered nine hits off Yankee pitching. C.C. Sabathia allowed right of those hits. The lefty yielded a second inning run on Willie Aybar’s sacrifice fly to center and gave up another run in the top of the third on an Evan Longoria double. The Bombers got a run back in the bottom half of the frame on Swisher’s RBI single. Swisher went 3-for-5 at the plate but contributed one of two New York errors in the field. Rays’ starter, James Shields tossed six innings of four hit ball. Shields walked three and struck out five while allowing three runs. Tampa built on their 2-1 lead in the fifth but could have produced more runs. Sabathia and the Bomber defense limited the damage after the Rays loaded the bases with no outs. Jason Bartlett tallied the third Tampa run on Longoria’s double play groundout.
Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada erased Tampa’s two run cushion in the fifth. Cano knocked home a run on his own solo shot off Shields. Posada pounded a 3-0 high fastball into the second deck in right to tie the game at 3-3. Both long balls came with two outs. Sabathia remained in the game through the seventh, allowing another run to cross the plate. Tampa retook their one run edge on Ben Zobrist’s groundout to first base. B.J. Upton scored on the play. Sabathia retired the next batter to end the threat with two runners on base. The 30 year old hurler fanned six Rays on the night but left without earning his 13th win. Tampa’s Grant Balfour held the Yankees scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, and New York reliever, Dave Robertson, struck out the side in the top of the eighth.
After Rivera held the contest at 4-4 in the ninth, the Yankees came to the plate to face Randy Choate. Curtis Granderson singled to lead off the frame and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Ramiro Pena. Brett Gardner walked on a full count to put runners on first and second with one out. Dan Wheeler was called in from the Rays’ bullpen and retired Derek Jeter for the second out. Seven-year veteran, Cormier, couldn’t record the final out for the Rays. Swisher lined a base hit to punch home the winning tally and keep New York’s record as the best in baseball. Choate was charged with the loss.
Parting Points: I didn’t know J.J. Redick was worth that much.
Stephen Strasburg is something else. I like this kid.
Finally, I can’t wait to see the deal the Rams have in store for Sam Bradford.
Song of the day- “Until I Fall Away” by Gin Blossoms. These guys drop a new album in September titled “No Chocolate Cake”. I can’t wait to hear it.
The Rays had an early advantage in a back-and-forth affair in which Tampa scattered nine hits off Yankee pitching. C.C. Sabathia allowed right of those hits. The lefty yielded a second inning run on Willie Aybar’s sacrifice fly to center and gave up another run in the top of the third on an Evan Longoria double. The Bombers got a run back in the bottom half of the frame on Swisher’s RBI single. Swisher went 3-for-5 at the plate but contributed one of two New York errors in the field. Rays’ starter, James Shields tossed six innings of four hit ball. Shields walked three and struck out five while allowing three runs. Tampa built on their 2-1 lead in the fifth but could have produced more runs. Sabathia and the Bomber defense limited the damage after the Rays loaded the bases with no outs. Jason Bartlett tallied the third Tampa run on Longoria’s double play groundout.
Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada erased Tampa’s two run cushion in the fifth. Cano knocked home a run on his own solo shot off Shields. Posada pounded a 3-0 high fastball into the second deck in right to tie the game at 3-3. Both long balls came with two outs. Sabathia remained in the game through the seventh, allowing another run to cross the plate. Tampa retook their one run edge on Ben Zobrist’s groundout to first base. B.J. Upton scored on the play. Sabathia retired the next batter to end the threat with two runners on base. The 30 year old hurler fanned six Rays on the night but left without earning his 13th win. Tampa’s Grant Balfour held the Yankees scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, and New York reliever, Dave Robertson, struck out the side in the top of the eighth.
After Rivera held the contest at 4-4 in the ninth, the Yankees came to the plate to face Randy Choate. Curtis Granderson singled to lead off the frame and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Ramiro Pena. Brett Gardner walked on a full count to put runners on first and second with one out. Dan Wheeler was called in from the Rays’ bullpen and retired Derek Jeter for the second out. Seven-year veteran, Cormier, couldn’t record the final out for the Rays. Swisher lined a base hit to punch home the winning tally and keep New York’s record as the best in baseball. Choate was charged with the loss.
Parting Points: I didn’t know J.J. Redick was worth that much.
Stephen Strasburg is something else. I like this kid.
Finally, I can’t wait to see the deal the Rams have in store for Sam Bradford.
Song of the day- “Until I Fall Away” by Gin Blossoms. These guys drop a new album in September titled “No Chocolate Cake”. I can’t wait to hear it.
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