Tuesday, November 27, 2018

2017 Lottery Info

We will be conducting our draft lottery on Monday, December 3rd and Tuesday, December 4th..........
The “Pennsylvania Daily Number Evening” lottery (http://www.palottery.state.pa.us/) on subsequent nights (7PM EST) will be used to decide who gets the #1 and #2 picks in the first round only. If the second pick yields the same result as the first night, then a third night’s lottery drawing will be used. The remaining 10 teams will draft in reverse order of record. So, the team with the poorest record can do no worst than pick third in the first round.

2017 Lottery Drawing Chances:

000 to 249 – Los Angeles (48-114)

250 to 449 – New York (63-99)

450 to 604 – Atlanta (65-97)

605 to 724 – Cleveland (67-95)

725 to 814 – Anaheim (69-93, 5-1 vs. Arizona in tie-breaker)

815 to 879 – Arizona (69-93)

880 to 924 – Pittsburgh (74-88)

925 to 954 – Toronto (76-86)

955 to 974 – Washington (79-83)

975 to 986 – Minnesota (83-79)

987 to 994 – St. Louis (84-78)

995 to 999 – Houston (87-76)

(Click here for a history of previous lottery numbers selected.)

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Mariners Are 2016 Millennium Champs!

 

The 2016 World Series is a rematch of the 2014 and 2011 World Series.  Seattle won 2014 in 5 games and 2011 in 6 games.  Oakland also faced Seattle in the 2013 playoffs when they got swept by Seattle in the opening round. 
 
 
Game 1:  Jake Arrieta vs. Justin Verlander
Oakland gets on the board first in the second with a run but the Mariners answer with 5 runs off Arrieta.  The A’s come back with 3 the following inning to get it within 1.  Andrew Triggs relieves Arrieta in the 3rd inning and lets the wheels fall off allowing 7 runs with 4 of them earned.  The Mariners add a couple of runs to stretch the lead to 10 in the 6th inning.  Seattle out hits Oakland 13-5 and wins 14-6.  Nelson Cruz collects 3 RBI while Russell Martin collects 4 RBI in a losing effort.
 
Game 2:  Carlos Carrasco vs. Jon Lester
Oakland gets on the board first again with a Matt Kemp solo HR in the 4th.  Elvis Andrus, Evan Longoria and Nelson Cruz each double of Carrasco in the 6th for the 2-1 advantage.  Alex Colome blows the save in the 9th to send the game to extras.  Colome then allows a Jonathon Schoop single in the 10th who advances on a ground out.  Nate Jones can’t get out of the jam and allows a Eddie Rosario single to give the A’s the lead.  S. Oh pitches an uneventful 10th as the A’s tie with a 3-2 extra inning victory.  Jon Lester strikes out 10 in 8 innings and Carrasco allows 4 base runners in 7 innings.
 
Game 3: Felix Hernandez vs. Rick Porcello
Porcello coasts through the first 8 innings with a 4 run lead before giving up a Evan Longoria HR to lead off the 9th.  Oh comes on a pitches a perfect 9th as Oakland wins 4-1 and takes the series lead at home. 
 
Game 4: Justin Verlander vs. Jose Quintana
The Mariners put 3 across in the first inning on three hits.  David Ross adds a HR in the 6th inning off Triggs.  Verlander strikes out 9 and allows 3 hits in 8 shutout innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter.  Dan Otero strands a couple of runners and preserves the shutout as Seattle wins 5-0 and ties the series.  Ryan Braun collects 3 hits and 2 RBI.
 
Game 5: Jon Lester vs. Jake Arrieta
Nelson Cruz hits a 2 run blast in the 5th to start the scoring.  Kyle Seager answers for Oakland with a solo shot to keep it close.  The Mariners get it back in the 6th inning and Oakland puts enough pressure on Lester to get him pulled in the 6th but not before he strikes out 10.  Oakland adds a run in the 7th off Ryan Buchter by winning the managerial matchup swaps.  The Mariners come back with a run the following inning and Oakland answers again to keep it within 1.  The A’s can’t match its magical comeback in game 2 as Alex Colome, the 6th Mariner pitcher, earns the save on the 4-3 victory.
 
Game 6: Carlos Carrasco vs. Matt Moore
Kyle Seager and Kendrys Morales go yard for Oakland as they jump to a 3-1 lead off Matt Moore.  Otero comes in and allows 3 more runs as Oakland cruises to a 8-2 victory.  Six A’s collect RBIs.  Carrasco strikes out 8 in 7 innings.
 
Game  7: Rick Porcello vs. Justin Verlander
Kyle Seager launches a HR in the first inning.  The Mariners answer with 3 runs in the first inning to take the lead and put another run across in the second inning.  Seager goes yard again in the 4th inning.  His 4th of the series.   Nelson Cruz hits a 2 run HR in the 5th inning for a 6-2 lead.  Porcello hands the ball to Ryan Madson and pitches 2 scoreless innings.  Verlander leaves after 6 innings and striking out 8.  Five Mariner relievers keep the A’s off the board over the final 3 innings as the Mariners maintain the 6-2 edge and earn the series victory at home. 

Athletics Are Going to the World Series


The 7th seeded Oakland Athletics defeated the 3rd seeded Boston Red Sox in an exciting seven game series.  A recap of the games:


BOS 3, OAK 2 - Sale outduels Arrieta in the opener.  Lucroy drives in 2 runs.

OAK 8, BOS 4 - Porcello pitches 6 innings and only allows 2 runs; Kemp, Bradley Jr and Schoop all drive in 2 runs each

BOS 3, OAK 1 - Archer pitches 6 2/3 innings and only allows 1 run.  Then, the Red Sox bullpen (A. Miller, Betances and Chapman) close out the game for the win.

OAK 4, BOS 1 - A's rally with 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th off loser Andrew Miller.  Carlos Carrasco limited the red Sox to just 1 run and 2 hits over 8 innings.  Seung Hwan Oh gets the save.

OAK 3, BOS 2 (13) - Quite possibly the turning point of the series.  In the bottom of the 13th, a  Jackie Bradley Jr double, a Jonathan Schoop walk and then a walk off double by Ender
Inciarte gave the A's the win.

BOS 4, OAK 3 - Fernandez (Win), Miller, Betances and Chapman (Save #7 in this postseason) limited Oakland to just 3 runs as Boston evens the series.

OAK 3, BOS 1 - Jackie Bradley Jr. had two hits and two ribbies to lead Oakland to the win.  Jose Quintana only allowed one unearned run for the win.





Mariners Eliminate Marlins - Advance to the World Series


The Seattle Mariners advance to the World Series for their seventh time in their history as they defeated the Chicago White Sox in 5 games.  A recap of the series:


Game 1:
Mariners score 4 first inning unearned runs and Jon Lester goes on cruise control allowing 1 hit through 8 innings as the Mariners enter the 9th with a 7-1 lead.  It takes 4 Mariner pitchers stop the late rally as the Marlins add 5 runs in the 9th and strand the tying run on base.  Mariners out hit the Marlins 15-4 and win 7-6.  Ryan Braun goes 3-5 with 2 RBI.  Angel Miranda takes the loss allowing 6 hits and the 4 runs in less than 2 innings. 
 
Game 2:
Mariners jump to early lead at home again by plating 2 runs in the first.  They add 2 more in the third and seventh innings as they enter the 9th with a 6-1 advantage behind a strong Justin Verlander performance.  The Marlin bats come alive in the 9th again and plate 2 runs before Francisco Rodriguez closes down the game as the Mariners win 6-3.  Verlander strikes out 7 in 8 innings for the victory.  David Price allows 11 hits in 6 innings to take the loss. 
 
Game 3:
These teams couldn’t travel much further as they leave Seattle and head to Miami for game 3.  The Mariners start the game with a run.  The Marlins tie it in the 2nd and take a one run lead in the 4th.  The Mariners come back the following inning to score 2 runs on a Nelson Cruz HR to grab the lead.  Alex Colome allows a few singles in the 8th to allow the Marlins to tie it.  Evan Longoria hits a solo HR in the 13th inning and the 8th Mariner pitcher, Rodriguez retires the side and strikes out 2 for the save as the Mariners win 4-3.   Madison Bumgarner pitches 8 strong innings for the Marlins but does not factor into the decision. 
 
Game 4:
The Mariners fail to score in the first inning for the first time in the series but the Marlins put 2 up to start the game.  Wilson Ramos hits a 3 run HR in the 3rd inning for a 5-1 Marlin lead.  Kyle Hendricks earns the CG victory with 7 strikeouts as the Marlins win their first game of the series 7-1.
 
Game 5:
Evan Longoria scores the first run of the game in the 2nd inning and hits a 2 run HR in the 4th for a 3 run Mariner lead.  The Mariners add a couple of more runs against Mashiro Tanaka in the first 5 innings.  The Marlins start to get to Verlander by putting a run up in the 7th and 2 in the 8th.  Carl Edwards Jr ends the rally in the 8th and Francisco Rodriguez earns the save as the Mariners win 5-3. 

A's Advance

Russell Martin went 9 for 15 (.600) with a pair of doubles and 7 RBI's to help lead the Oakland A's win a playoff series over the Chicago White Sox in 5 games.  A recap of the series:


A's 6, White Sox 5 - Martin hit game winning RBI single in the top of the 8th.  Arietta (1-0) pitched 7 innings and gave up 5 runs but gained the W.

A's 6, White Sox 3 (12) - In the 12th, Cameron Rupp started the inning off right when he ripped a single. Kyle Seager was the next batter, but he struck out.  Jonathan Schoop followed, but he was set down on strikes.  Hector Neris then tossed a pitch that the catcher mis-handled.  Jackie Bradley Jr stepped into the box and was walked intentionally.  Danny Espinosa added to the outburst and belted a three-run homer.

White Sox 8, A's 4 - Jeremy Hellickson fanned 10 in 6 innings.  Freedie Freeman and Will Myers both had 3 hits for Chicago as the White Sox banged out 14 hits.

A's 7, White Sox 6 - Series MVP Russell Martin hit a walk off RBI double in the bottom of the 9th to give Oakland a come from behind victory.  Oakland, trailing 6-3 in the 8th, scored 2 runs in both the 8th and 9th innings.

A's 7, White Sox 6 - Oakland overcame a 5-0 first inning deficit by scoring 7 unanswered runs to clinch the series. Maybin, Martin and Bradley, Jr all drove in a pair of runs for Oakland.




Red Sox Down Defending Champ Giants in Six Games

The Boston Red Sox defeated the San Francisco Giants 4 games to 2 in a quarter final playoff series behind reliever Aroldis Chapman who was acquired in a mid-season trade:


Game 1:  SF 3, BOS 1 (10)
Eduardo Nunez hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 10th for the win.

Game 2:  BOS 4, SF 3
The Red Sox rallied with 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th.  Brock Holt started the rally when he doubled.  Jose Ramirez stroked a one-base hit. Josh Donaldson was up next and he drew a walk to load the bases. J.D. Martinez stepped into the box and slapped a base-hit driving in the two runs.

Game 3:  BOS 4, SF 3
Jose Fernandez (7 innings, 6 K's, 1 unearned run), Andrew Miller and Alrodis Chapman shut down the Giants on just 3 hits.  Jonathan Lucroy hit a a 2-run homer for Boston.

Game 4:  SF 5, BOS 2
Max Scherzer allowed 5 hits and 4 walks in 6 and 2/3 innings with 8 strikeouts.  Zach Britton was credited with his 2nd save. Puig hit a 2-run homer for San Francisco.

Game 5:  BOS 5, SF 3
The awesonme relief duo of Andrew Miller (W, 1-1) and Alroldis Champman (Save #3) combined to blank the Giants over the final 2 1/3 innings with 6 strikeouts.  The Red Sox overcame an early 2-0 deficit.

Game 6:  BOS 6, SF 3
The Red Sox eliminated the Giants at their home in Fenway with a convincing win.  Chris Archer, another trade acquisition, fanned 10 batters over 7+ innings and Alrodis Chapman recorded his fourth save in the series.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Marlins Sweep Royals



The Miami Marlins swept the Kansas City Royals in four games.  A summary of the series:


MIA 2, KC 0 (10) - Evan Gattis hit a 2-run triple in the top of the 10th off loser J. A. Happ.

MIA 5, KC 2 - Hunter Pence knocked in 3 runs and Kyle Hendricks tossed 8 strong innings for the Marlin win.  Jeremy Jeffress picked up the save.

MIA 7, KC 2 - Madison Bumgarner scattered 5 hits and struck out 8 in a complete game win.  Victor Martinez knocked in 3 runs for Miami.

MIA 6, KC 1 - The Marlins capped off the sweep as Tanaka fired a CG while fanning 10 Royal batters.  Wilson Ramos hit two home runs for the Marlins.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Seattle Eliminates Phillies in Seven Games



Nelson Cruz hit four home runs as #1 seed Seattle defeated #8 seed Philadelphia in seven games.  A recap of the series:


Game 1:  Philadelphia 4 Seattle 1
Corey Kluber outduels Justin Verlander through 7 innings.  Andrew McCutchen goes deep in the second inning to give the Phillies the lead.  They add a run in the 7th to chase Verlander then add 2 for breathing room in the 9th. 

Game 2:  Philadelphia 5 Seattle 2
Jonathan Villar runs around the bases in the first inning against Lester to start the scoring.  They add 2 more in the 3rdwith more stellar base running.  The Mariners put 2 across in the 6th against Johnny Cueto to cut the lead to one.  Lester lets the leading runner get on in the 8th so he gives the ball to Carl Edwards Jr.  Asdrubal Cabrera launches one for 2 more runs to close the scoring and giving the Phillies a 2 game edge head to Philly. 

Game 3:  Seattle 11 Philadelphia 1
Jordan Zimmerman allows 4 runs in 5 innings and Luis Cessas doesn’t fare much better allowing 5 runs in 3 innings as Felix Hernandez coasts for 7 innings and the Mariners get their first victory of the series.

Game 4:   Seattle 7 Philadelphia 4
Phillies get 2 in the first to grab the lead.  Down 3-1 in the 6th, the Mariners put 3 across to take the lead against Kluber but Verlander can’t hold it as the Phillies get 1 in the bottom half to tie the game. Nelson Cruz launches his second HR of the game off Kluber in the 7th as the Mariners collect 5 HR in the victory.

Game 5: Seattle 2 Philadelphia 1
As usual, Philadelphia scores first.  In the 4th inning, Lorenzo Cain and Kevin Keirmaier hit consecutive doubles for the run.  Nelson Cruz launches a 2 run HR in the 6th and 4 Mariner relievers preserve the victory.    The visiting team has won all 5 games so far as the teams head to the Pacific Northwest. 

Game 6:  Philadelphia 3 Seattle 1
Adam Conley and Matt Moore get their only starts of the series and are put on short leashes.  Conley allows 1 run in 4 innings and Moore allows 1 run in 5 innings.  Whit Merrified’s HR off Edwards Jr n the 6th breaks the 1-1 tie.  They get another run the following inning to keep the visiting win streak going.

Game 7:  Philadelphia 1 Seattle 4
Corey Kluber v.s Justin Verlander round 3. 
Mark Reynolds hits a HR in the 2nd inning to give Philadelphia another early lead.  The Mariners strike back in the 6thinning to tie it.  Kluber starts to get in trouble in the 8th and Steve Cishek relieves him.  With 2 runners on, Whit Merrifield throws the ball away for an error as the Mariners plate 2 and get another one for a 4-1 lead.  Ryan Buchter stays in the game after getting the last out in the 8th and pitches an uneventful 9th to seal the victory for the home team.

The 8th seeded Phillies nearly pulled off the upset but Nelson Cruz was too much to handle.  The hero of the game 6, Whit Merrifield was the goat in game 7.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Giants Win 2015 World Series



San Francisco (AP) - The San Francisco Giants won their first Millennium League Championship by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games.  A recap of the series:







GAME 1 - San Francisco 3, St. Louis 1 -  Zack Greinke scattered six hits by pitching a complete game in the series opener.  Joey Votto had two hits and scored a run.  Redbirds' Jacob DeGrom, who gave up 2 runs over 7 innings, took the loss.

GAME 2 - San Francisco 5, St. Louis 4 - Joey Votto had two hits including his third homer of the post season.  The Giants' J. Dyson scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 8th and Craig Kimbrel tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 9th for the save.

GAME 3 - San Francisco 10, St. Louis 3 - Zack Cozart hit a grand slam in the 2nd inning as the Giants routed the Redbirds.  Jake Peavy pitched seven strong innings for the win and the Cards' Jamie Garcia took the loss.

GAME 4 - San Francisco 3, St. Louis 0 - Zack Greinke held the Cardinals scoreless for 7+ innings and Craig Kimbrel picked up another save as the Giants finish off the four game sweep.  Greinke finished the postseason with a 5-1 record and 2.15 ERA.


Postseason Stats

Votto (SF) - .321 avg, 3 HR's, 6 RBI's, 16 Walks, 14 Runs
Greinke (SF) - 5-1, 2.15 ERA
Kimbrel (SF) - 5 2/3 scoreless innings, 4 saves

Cespedes (STL) - .294 avg, 4 HR's, 11 RBI's
DeGrom (STL) - 3-1, 1.95 ERA




2016 Draft Lottery Info

We will be conducting our draft lottery on Monday, January 22nd and Tuesday, January 23rd.....
The “Pennsylvania Daily Number Evening” lottery (http://www.palottery.state.pa.us/) on subsequent nights (7PM EST) will be used to decide who gets the #1 and #2 picks in the first round only. If the second pick yields the same result as the first night, then a third night’s lottery drawing will be used. The remaining 10 teams will draft in reverse order of record. So, the team with the poorest record can do no worst than pick third in the first round.

2016 Lottery Drawing Chances:

000 to 249 – Atlanta (51-111)

250 to 449 – New York (66-96)

450 to 604 – Seattle (69-93)

605 to 724 – Arizona (71-91)

725 to 814 – Minnesota (74-88)

815 to 879 – Pittsburgh (75-87)

880 to 924 – Chicago (78-84)

925 to 954 – Los Angeles (80-82, 4-2 vs. Boston in tie-breaker)

955 to 974 – Boston (80-82)

975 to 986 – Philadelphia (81-81)

987 to 994 – Kansas City (82-80, 4-2 vs. Cleveland in tie-breaker)

995 to 999 – Cleveland (82-80)

(Click here for a history of previous lottery numbers selected.)


Saturday, January 06, 2018

Redbirds Sweep Nats


 
 
Behind Yoenis Cespedes' bat, the St. Louis Cardinals swept the Washington Nationals in four games.  A summary of the series:
 
 
GAME 1
Cardinals 3, Nationals 1
Curtis Granderson snaps a 1-1 tie with a 2-run double in the 6th.  Jacob DeGrom and three relievers toss a 3-hitter. In a key play in the 8th inning, Yoenis Cespedes throws out Starling Marte trying to score from second on a Mike Trout single.

GAME 2
Cardinals 7, Nationals 1
Yoenis Cespedes crushes a 2-run HR in the 3rd and Brett Lawrie highlights a 5-run 7th with a 2-run PH triple as St. Louis coasts to a 2-0 series lead. Francisco Liriano strikes out 7 and allows just 4 hits in 7 innings for the win.

GAME 3
Cardinals 3, Nationals 2 (11 innings)
Yoenis Cespedes belts a solo homer in the top of the 11th, then St. Louis holds on for dear life in the bottom half. Washington put runners on second and third with one out against Kevin Siegrist. Delino Deshields fails on a squeeze bunt and strikes out. Mike Trout is walked intentionally to load the bases, but Billy Butler fans to end the game. St. Louis had taken the lead in the 7th on an RBI
double by Logan Forsythe and a run-scoring single by Cespedes. But Washington tied it in the 9th against closer Wade Davis. Starling Marte singled, stole two bases, then rode home on a Trout single. Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 in 7-1/3 for Washington, which had been held to 1 hit until the 9th.

GAME 4
Cardinals 5, Nationals 4
Logan Forsythe leads off the game with a homer, finishing with 3 RBIs, and Yoenis Cespedes caps a 4-run 3rd with a 2-run HR as St. Louis completes the sweep. Washington had taken a rare lead on Mike Trout's 3-run HR in the bottom of the 1st and crept within 5-4 on Starling Marte's RBI single in the 7th. St. Louis starter Danny Salazar struck out 12, but tired in the 9th, departing after Jose Bautista's leadoff PH double. Wade Davis entered and retired three straight Nationals, two on strikes.
 
The Cardinals, who haven't been to the Fall Classic since the 2004 season, will face the San Francisco Giants.



Friday, January 05, 2018

Giants Heading to the World Series

The San Francisco Giants advanced to their second World Series in 3 seasons (they lost to Cleveland in 2013) as they eliminated the Astros in 5 games.  Joey Votto was the series MVP who went 6-16, with 2 doubles, a triple, a HR, 6 runs and 4 RBI.    Jason Kipnis went 8-19 with 2 doubles, 2 HR, with 3 runs and 4 RBI for the losers.  A recap of the series


Game 1 - The Giants scored 3 times in the 1st 3 innings, getting 7 hits in the process.  Scherzer keeps the Astros bats silent and take the game 3-1

Game 2 - Giancarlo Stanton homers twice and knocks in 4 as Yordano Ventura strikes out 9 in 6 2/3 innings.  Houston wins 5-1 to even the series.
 
Game 3 - More pitching from SF, this time in the form of Jake Peavy.  Peavy strikes out 7 in 5 innings then lets the bull pen take it from there in the 6-2 win to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
 
Game 4 - With Kershaw on the mound, the Stros were hoping to even the series.  Kershaw went 8 innings while striking out 13 but gave up 2 long balls.  Tony Watson came in and after 5 post season innings gave up his 1st hit, a walk off dinger by David Wright.  Jason Kipnis hit 2 for Houston.  Giants up 3 games to 1.
 
Game 5 - Rubby De La Rosa versus Zack Greinke in an elimination game.  10 times out of 10, you would bet on Greinke.   Greinke goes 7 innings striking out 8 in the Giants 5-1 win.  

Nats Send #1 Seed Marlins Home


Miami (AP) -  Cole Hamels turned in a clutch performance in game 7 of the Nats-Marlins playoff series to help send Washington to the semi-finals.  A recap of the series:


MIA 5, WASH - 2:  David Price pitched 7 strong innings, Goldschmidt knocked in 2 for Miami

WASH 4, MIA 3 (11):  Aramis Ramirex hit a solo shot in the 11th for the game winner

WASH 9, MIA 8 (10):  Crazy game.  After the Marlins rallied for three runs in the top of the 9th to tie the game, Mike Trout drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th for the winning Nats run.

WASH 3, MIA 2 (12):  Third straight extra inning game all won by Washington.  Pinch hitter Mike Zunio lined an RBI-single in the 12th.  David Robertson (2-0) picks up his second win in the series.

MIA 6, WASH 3:  David Price won his second game of the series as Miami staved off elimination.  Paul Goldschmidt hit his third homer of the series and knocked in 3 runs for the Marlins.

MIA 10, WASH 1:  Bryce Homer and Nolan Arenado both hit homers and combines to knock in 7 runs as Miami overwhelmed Washington to even the series at 3 games a piece.  Kyle Hendricks pitched seven sparkling innings for the victory.

WASH 6, MIA 2:  Cole Hamels fanned 9 while scattering 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings allowing only 2 runs.  Mike Trout broke out of his post season slump with 2 hits, 2 ribbies and 2 runs scored for Washington.  CC Sabathia takes the loss for Miami.