Defending Champs Dodgers Moves to Second Round

The defending champions Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the #1 seed Kansas City Royals with a 4 games to 2 series win.  A recap of the series:

LA 4, KC 3 - In the 4th inning Los Angeles scored 2 runs. Matt Downs led off and got things going when he ripped a single.  After an out was recorded, Brent Lillibridge stepped up to the plate and he clubbed a two-run home run.  One out later, Cliff Pennington was a strikeout victim, unable to help out.  Kansas City threatened in the 9th but their rally came up short. 

The victory was credited to Matt Garza(1-0) who went 7 innings, allowing 2 runs. Garza got help from Santiago Casilla who was credited with his 1st save.  Cliff Lee(0-1) was the loser.  Despite taking the loss, he whiffed 10 batters in 7 innings. 

LA 4, KC 3 - Matt Joyce hit 2 doubles and had 2 RBI as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the
Kansas City Royals by a score of 4 to 3.

Los Angeles took the lead off Dan Haren in the first inning plating 2 runsusing 3 hits.  Jamey Carroll led off and he delivered a single.  After an out was recorded, Miguel Cabrera came to bat and singled.  Joyce then doubled. Kansas City had a chance in the 9th but they came up short. 

Tommy Hanson(1-0) picked up the victory, allowing 2 runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. Neftali Feliz gained credit for his 1st save.  Haren(0-1) was charged with the loss. 

LA 2, KC 1 (13) - Daniel Hudson went 7 solid innings at Dodger Stadium as the Los Angeles
Dodgers beat the Kansas City Royals in 13 innings by the count of 2 to 1.

Both teams were tied at 1 runs apiece after nine innings.  Los Angeles was victorious in the 13th inning.  After an out was recorded, Miguel Cabrera laced a base-hit.  After another out, Matt Downs came to the plate and doubled giving Los Angeles the victory and sending the 52,549 home-town fans home happy.  Los Angeles totaled 10 hits on the night. 

Neftali Feliz(1-0) went 2 innings allowing no runs for the win. Guillermo Moscoso(0-1) was the loser in relief.  He pitched 1 and 2/3 innings giving up 2 hits and 1 walk.

KC 8, LA 6 - The Kansas City Royals got by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.  The
final score was 8 to 6.

Los Angeles was unable to recover after Kansas City went ahead in the top of the 7th inning plating an isolated run.  A wild affair, this game saw the lead change 5 times. 

The victory went to Guillermo Moscoso(1-1) who went 2 innings, allowing no runs. Moscoso got help from John Axford who was credited with his 1st save. Tyson Ross(0-1) was the losing pitcher in relief.  He surrendered 3 runs and 4 hits in 1 inning. 

KC 7, LA 0 - Left fielder Matt Holliday went yard and had 3 RBI and Dan Haren came through
with a solid 8 innings as the Kansas City Royals outscored the Los Angeles Dodgers 7 to 0.

Kansas City drew first blood jumping out to an early lead in the first inning plating 2 runs.  Joe Mauer started the inning off right when he drew a walk. Holliday followed and he doubled.  After an out was recorded, Ryan Zimmerman then would ground out.  Matt Garza then bounced one in the dirt for a wild pitch.  Jayson Werth got his turn next, but he was a strikeout victim.  That early run support was enough for Haren(1-1) and Kansas City.  Kansas City had 9 hits for the game and Los Angeles had 3. 

Garza(1-1) absorbed the loss. He pitched 6 innings allowing 4 hits and 1 walk.

LA 2, KC 0 (10) - Tommy Hanson whiffed 11 batters as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Kansas City Royals in 10 innings by a score of 2 to 0.

No runners had crossed home plate after the regulation nine.  Los Angeles won the game in the 10th inning.  Miguel Cabrera started the inning off right when he reached on an error.  After an out was recorded, Chris Heisey stepped in and he popped a two-run clout over the fence.  Geovany Soto followed, but he was set down on strikes.  Los Angeles had only 6 hits for the game. 

The winning pitcher was Hanson(2-0) who allowed no runs in 9 innings. Neftali Feliz was credited with his 2nd save.  The losing pitcher was Josh Tomlin(0-1).  He allowed just 6 hits and no walks in 9 and 1/3 innings.

Seattle Eliminates D-Backs Behind Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander won 3 games as the Seattle Mariners beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in a tough seven game playoff series:

Game #1: Seattle 6-3
Justin Verlander fanned eight in eight innings and F. Rodriguez allowed two
 hits before recording the save.

Game #2: Arizona 6-5
The Diamondbacks rallied with three runs in the top of the ninth off a David Ross 2-run homer and a Shane Victorino game winning RBI-single.

Game #3: Arizona 10-2
Jamie Garcia pitched a CG and hit a 2-run homer.  Former post season hero Roy Oswalt was rocked for 9 runs in 3+ innings.

Game #4: Seattle 5-0
Mr. Verlander fired a brilliant 3-hitter as Seattle shuts out the D-Backs.  Reyes hits a double and a triple.

Game #5: Seattle 4-2
Felix Hernandez pitched 8 strong innings by only allowing 4 hits and 2 runs.  Jered Weaver  kept his team in the game to take the tough luck loss.

Game #6: Arizona 4-2
Jamie Garcia pitched 8 2/3 innings and struck out 10 for the win.  Pedroia, batting .360 in the series, hit his second homer.

Game #7: Seattle 5-1
Justin Verlander pitched another CG as he finished the series with 3 wins and a 1.38 ERA.  Pujols hit his second homer and drove in 2 runs.

Yankees Knock Out Angels

Troy Tulowitski hit .458 and drove in 6 runs as the New York Yankees downed the Arizona Diamondback 4 games to 2 in their quarter-final playoff series.  A recap of the games:

Game 1 Anaheim 4 New York 3
Gio Gonzalez came through with a solid 8 innings as the Anaheim Angels beat the New York Yankees by a score of 4 to 3.

Gonzalez(1-0) was solid in the win.  He didn't allow much, just 5 hits and no walks in 8 innings.  New York made it exciting in the 9th, but they were unable to push the needed runs across. 
Gonzalez got help from Kenley Jansen who earned his 1st save.  The losing pitcher was Tim Lincecum(0-1).  He allowed 8 hits and 1 walk in 5 innings.

What the article doesn’t say:  Anaheim came right out of the box scoring runs and had a 4-1 lead going into 9th where JJ Putz had some issues and Jansen had to come in to make the save. 

Game 2 New York 2 Anaheim 1
Luke Hochevar(1-0) and Alexi Ogando(0-1) dueled it out with Hochevar and the New York Yankees coming out on top of the Anaheim Angels by the score of 2 to 1.

New York came up with 1 run in the bottom of the 6th inning when they had 3 base hits.  That wound up as the winning run.  Anaheim had a chance to come back in the 9th but they came up short. 
Mariano Rivera got the save, his 1st.

What the article doesn’t say:  A well pitched game by both teams. Ogando let up 2 runs in 5.1 innings and the bullpen held NY scoreless the rest of the game but 2 runs was enough for Hochever and the bullpen. Yankees got half there hits in the 6th to steal game two and make the flight to Cali more fun

Game 3 Anaheim 4 New York 2
Marco Scutaro had 2 base hits and 2 RBI at Angels Stadium as the Anaheim Angels beat the New York Yankees 4 to 2.

Anaheim had 2 runs cross the plate in the 5th inning with the help of 3 hits. The crucial at-bat was provided by Scutaro who made the crowd happy when he laced a single bringing home two baserunners.  For the game Anaheim out-hit New York 8 to 3. 

Joe Smith(1-0) went 3 innings allowing no runs for the win. Smith got relief help from Kenley Jansen who gained credit for his 2nd save.  Jake Peavy(0-1) was tagged with the loss.  He gave up 7 hits and 1 walk in 6 innings. 

What the Article doesn’t tell you:  Blaise makes the managing move of the series pulling his starter with the bases loaded and 1 out in the 4th with a 2-1 NY lead and shuts down the Yankees in that inning and the rest of the game. 1 hit the rest of the game.  Anaheim takes a big game and a 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 4 New York 4 Anaheim 1
The New York Yankees defeated the Anaheim Angels by a score of 4 to 1 at Angels Stadium.

New York had the winning rally in the top of the 8th inning with 3 runs utilizing 4 base hits.  Carlos Ruiz led off and he ripped a base-hit.  Carlos Beltran stepped into the batter's box and he cleared the fences for a two-run home run.  Edwin Encarnacion then delivered a single.  Troy Tulowitzki stepped in and he singled.  After an out was  recorded, Don Kelly came up and he drew a walk to load the bases.  Lucas Duda got his chance to keep things going, but he went down on strikes.  Ramon Santiago stepped up next and he drew a walk.  Overall New York out-hit Anaheim 11 to 4. 

Tim Lincecum(1-1) was the winner allowing 1 run in 7 innings. Mariano Rivera earned his 2nd save.  Cory Wade(0-1) was the loser in relief. 

What the Article doesn’t say:  For 7 innings the two aces shut down the offense until the 8th.  NY’s bullpen shut down Anaheim after the big inning to even the series at 2-2. NY’s bullpen has been dominant and the key in the series so far

Game 5 New York 5 Anaheim 4
Troy Tulowitzki had 2 base hits at Angels Stadium as the New York Yankees came back dramatically to top the Anaheim Angels by the score of 5 to 4.

New York came through with the game-winning runs in the 9th inning with 2 runs.  Lucas Duda kicked off the action when he drew a walk.  David Dejesus next to the plate and he grounded into a double play.  Edwin Encarnacion then drew a walk.  Robinson Cano followed next and he clubbed a two-run home run.  Garrett Jones struck out, unable to help the rally.  Anaheim was retired without difficulty in the bottom of the 9th. 

The win was credited to Jonny Venters(1-0) who went 2 innings allowing no runs. Mariano Rivera preserved the game for Venters, recording his his 3rd save.  Kenley Jansen(0-1) absorbed the loss in relief. 

What the article didn’t say:  WOW!! New York takes an early 3-0 and looks to cruise to a win but Anaheim scores  in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings to take the lead. Nova is pulled and shuts down Anaheim but not till they take a 4-3 lead.  In the ninth a lead off single by Duda is erased by an Anaheim DP. At this point  I said I am not getting the breaks tonight (we talked on phone entire series). With 2 outs Encarnacion singles and Cano hits one that looks like and is a no doubter. Rivera gets his 3rd save and the series heads to NY

Game 6 New York 4 Anaheim 3
The New York Yankees put 4 runs on the scoreboard in the 5th inning and edged the Anaheim Angels at Petco Park by the score of 4 to 3.

New York scored all of the necessary runs in the 5th inning when they came up with 4 runs on 5 hits.  The biggest moment was provided by Troy Tulowitzki who elicited a roar from the hometown fans when he clubbed a three-run home run.  Anaheim threatened in the 9th but their rally came up short.
 
The victory was credited to Jonny Venters(2-0) who went 2 innings, allowing no runs. Mariano Rivera got the save, his 4th.  Alexi Ogando(0-2) was the loser.  He got hammered, allowing 8 hits and 4 walks in 4 innings. 

What the Article doesn’t say:  Anaheim took an early 3-0 lead and momentum seemed to be squarely with Anaheim.  Playing Earl Weaver baseball we get a 3 run homer from Tulo and scratch out another run. From there the bullpen shuts down Anaheim and Mariano gets a 2 inning save to get all 4 saves in the series.

Notes:
Great series. Blaise managed well but 2 big breaks in games 5 and 6 made all the difference.  Earl Weaver baseball was the key for this New York team. Thanks to Blaise and Anaheim for playing and we await our next series....

Stats
BA/OBP/SLG
NY .233/.294/.323
ANA .209/273/.356

ERA Total/Start/Relief
NY 2.89/4.15/0.49
ANA 3.29/3.31/3.26

Other Stats:
DP’s Turned
ANA 9 NY 3

HR’s Hit
ANA 6 NY 4

Runs NY 20 ANA 17
Ball Park Homers NY 1-4 Ana 0-6

Oakland Advances to Second Round

Todd Helton batted .412 with 5 RBIs's to help the A's advance with a deceptively close 4-1 series win over Houston.  

Game 1 : Houston 3-1 -  Astro ace Clayton Kershaw pitched 8 scoreless innings and Freddie Freeman smacked a 2-run HR.  Astro closer Ryan Madson walked in a run in the bottom of the 9th but managed to escape with the save.

Game 2 : Oakland 3-1 - Oakland scored 2 runs in the 7th to win it.

Game 3 : Oakland 7-3 - The game was tied 2-2 going into the 9th when each team scored a run to send the game into extra innings.  The A's scored 4 in the 10th to win it, with Austin Jackson's 2 run pinch hit single the winner.  A's OF Bryan Petersen went 5-6 while Astros iron gloved 3B Mark Reynolds put on an clinic on how not to play 3B.

Game 4 : Oakland 5-3 - The A's were leading 2-0 after 5 and scored 3 in the 8th to take a seemingly safe 5-0 lead but the Astros scored 1 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th before A's reliever Casey Janssen managed to finish it out.  Astros OF Josh Hamilton went 4-5.  Astros infielders Freddie Freeman and Ian Desmond committed costly errors that led to 3 Oakland runs. 

Game 5 : Oakland 2-1 - The A's scored a run in the top of the 9th to break a 1-1 tie and clinch the series.  With 2 outs and no one on Aramis Ramirez doubled, Todd Helton then singled home pinch runner Bryan Petersen. 

Playoff Spots Going Down to the Wire....

We have a good race for the eight playoff spots this season.....With just 12 games remaining, here are the current standings:

Division Leaders
1.  Seattle (97-53) - clinched division
2.  Kansas City (94-56) - magic number 7
3.  New York (88-62) - magic number 4
4.  Oakland (86-64) - magic number 7

Wild Card Playoff Spots
5.  Houston (88-62)
6.  Anaheim (84-66)
7.  Toronto (82-68)
8.  Arizona (80-70)/Los Angeles (80-70)

Still in the Hunt
Chicago (79-71)
Minnesota (78-72)
St. Louis (76-74)
Washington (74-76)

Dodgers Take Title!

The Los Angeles Dodgers won their first Millennium League Championship by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games:

 

Game 1 -  LAD 5 ARI 0 

Daniel Hudson pitched 4 strong innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers topped the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 5 to 0 at Dodger Stadium. 

Arizona found themselves trailing quickly as the Los Angeles bats came through in the first inning plating an isolated run using 2 hits.  The pitchers took over after the 4th inning as neither team was able to score again.   

Brandon Lyon (1-2) picked up the victory, allowing no runs in 2 innings. Jered Weaver (3-2) took the loss.  He was touched for 3 homeruns in his 4 innings of work. 

What the Game Story doesn’t tell you….

Déjà vu for LAD as they win by shutout in game 1 just like in the last series.

 

Game 2 - LAD 2 ARN 1 

Catcher Geovany Soto cracked a homer at Dodger Stadium where the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks by the score of 2 to 1. 

Los Angeles scored the deciding run in the 8th inning.  Chase Utley delivered a base-hit.  After another out, Andres Torres struck out, unable to help the rally.  Matt Joyce then was walked intentionally.  Jamey Carroll came up and he singled.  Carroll took second on the throw.  Santiago Casilla was great in relief and recorded his 1st save. 

Neftali Feliz (2-0) was the winner allowing no runs in 1 inning. Joel Peralta (0-1) was charged with the loss in relief.  He pitched 2/3 of an inning and surrendered 1 hit and no walks. 

What the Game Story doesn’t tell you….

Aggressive running for ARN did not pay off. Victorino gunned on a 1-19 steal and a 1-14 out at 3^rd on a fly shut down ARN.  LAD with some great managing gets a run in bottom 8 to win

 

Game 3 - LAD 9 ARN 8

Neftali Feliz closed the door on Arizona and third baseman Jamey Carroll had 2 base hits at PNC Park where the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9 to 8. 

Los Angeles won the game with a rally in the 8th inning when they tallied 4 runs on 4 hits.  The key offensive moment was provided by John Jaso who helped quiet the crowd when he smacked a single which was good for two runs. For the game Los Angeles out-hit Arizona 12 to 7.   

Sergio Romo (1-0) got the win allowing no runs in 1 inning. Feliz earned his 2nd save.  Jose Valverde (0-1) was hit with the loss in relief.  He saw his ERA jump from 2.45 to 5.87 as gave up 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.   

What the Game Story doesn’t tell you….

ARN had an 8-1 lead after 5 but couldn’t hold down LAD. Every move worked for him and didn’t for ARN. 

 

GAME 4 - ARI 5 LAD 1

Martin Prado hit 2 doubles and had 2 RBI and Jered Weaver tossed a complete game as the Arizona Diamondbacks topped the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 5 to 1 at PNC Park. 

Los Angeles found themselves trailing quickly as the Arizona bats came through in the first inning when they scored 2 runs on 3 hits.  The early run support proved sufficient for Weaver (4-2) and Arizona.  That was all the run support Weaver required.  Arizona rapped out 10 hits for the night.   

Tim Stauffer (1-1) ended up with the loss.  He pitched 6 innings allowing 8 hits and 1 walk. 

What the Game Story doesn’t tell you….

Not much

 

Game 5 - LAD 5 ARI 2

In a good matchup it was the Los Angeles Dodgers 5, the Arizona Diamondbacks 2 at PNC Park. 

Los Angeles came up with 3 runs in the top of the 5th inning with the help of 3 hits.  After two were out Geovany Soto initiated the scoring spurt when he lashed a single.  Jamey Carroll followed next and he drew a walk.  Miguel Cabrera then doubled.  Chase Utley followed and he drew a walk.  Cody Ross came up to bat and doubled.  Arizona threatened in the 9th but their rally came up short.   

Daniel Hudson (2-0) went 5 innings allowing no runs for the victory.  Dennys Reyes gained credit for his 2nd save.  The loss was charged to Barry Zito (2-1).  He surrendered 3 runs in 5 innings and saw his ERA increase from 1.76 to 2.66.   

What the Game Story doesn’t tell you….

Arizona had a chance to win in 9^th but couldn’t do it.   

Stats
BA:  LAD .267, ARI .184
ERA: LAD 2.87, ARI 4.60
LOB: LAD 36, ARI 22
HR: LAD 4, ARI 1

White Sox Will Pick 2nd......

6-1-6......Chicago will get the second pick in the 2011 draft.....congrats Bob!

Nats Snatch First Pick

8-9-8......Rookie Coach Angelo Primo hit the jackpot as the Washington Nationals moved all the way up from the 7th position to grab the 1st pick in the 2011 Draft.  The Nationals are very lucky when it comes to winning the draft lottery - this is the fourth time that the Washington/Montreal franchise has won the first pick in the draft.

We will select the 2nd pick in the draft tomorrow night.......

2011 Draft Lottery Info

We will be conducting our draft lottery on Wednesday, December 11th and Thursday, December 12th.....

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 ten 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.


2011 Lottery Drawing Chances:

000 to 249 – Philadelphia (60-102, 4-2 vs. San Francisco in tie-breaker)

250 to 449 – San Francisco (60-102)

450 to 604 – Houston (67-95)

605 to 724 – Chicago (71-91)

725 to 814 – Florida (72-90, 8-4 vs. Toronto & Washington in tie-breaker)

815 to 879 – Toronto (72-90, 7-5 vs. Florida & Washington in tie-breaker)

880 to 924 – Washington (72-90, 3-9 vs. Florida & Toronto in tie-breaker)

925 to 954 – Minnesota (73-88)

955 to 974 – Boston (75-87)

975 to 986 – Oakland (79-83)

987 to 994 – Atlanta (81-81)

995 to 999 – Cleveland (82-80)


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

D-Backs are going to the World Series!

Jered Weaver won two decisions to help the Arizona Diamondbacks eliminate the Seattle Mariners in a short five game series:

AZ 6, SEA 5 - Carlos Pena hit two homers and drove in  3 runs, Weaver gets win over Mariners ace Felix hernandez

AZ 5, SEA 2 - Martin Prado went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI's; lefty Dallas Braden baffled Seattle's powerful right handed lineup of Pujols, Braun and ARod to get the victory

SEA 7, AZ 2 - Mariners get back in the series as Jon Lester fanned 9 for the win; Ryan Braun went 3-for-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI's

AZ 5, SEA 4 - Jered Weaver picked up his third post season win with another gutting pitching performance - this time over the other Mariner ace Justin Verlander.  Arizona rallied in the bottom of the 8th for three big runs off Seattle's Billy Wagner.  Martin Prado hit a solo homer in the 8th.

AZ 3, SEA 1 - Barry Zito got his first start in the series and he did not disappoint as he pitched seven strong innings for the win.  Zito only allowed one run.  Felix Hernandez, who had two losses in the series, was the hard luck loser as he only allowed two runs over seven innings.

Arizona now meets Los Angeles for the Championship.....

Dodgers Eliminate Yankees - Going to the Series

For the first time in their Millennium League history, the Los Angeles Dodgers are heading to the World Series.  Los Angeles defeated New York in a tense seven game series:

Game 1
LAD 4 NYA 0
Game Story

First baseman Miguel Cabrera smashed 2 homeruns as the Los Angeles Dodgers outscored the New York Yankees 4 to 0.

 

Los Angeles tallied 2 runs in the 4th inning.  Los Angeles finished with 6 hits while New York ended up with 2.  C.J. Wilson(3-0) went 6 and 1/3 innings allowing no runs for the victory. Tim Lincecum(1-1) absorbed the loss.  

What the Game Story doesn't tell you

I asked John for one piece of advice. He said don't let Miggy beat you. I don't listen.  Only 2 hits but NYA is not discouraged


 

Game 2
LAD 6 NYA 0
Game Story

Right fielder Carl Crawford hit one over the fence and Daniel Hudson didn't allow a hit until the 7th inning at Dodger Stadium where the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 6 to 0.

 

Hudson(1-0) was on top of his game.  He didn't allow much, just 2 hits and 1 walk in 9 innings.  The right-handed Hudson lost his no-hit bid when Ichiro Suzuki singled with nobody out in the 7th inning.  Los Angeles managed 7 hits in their victory. 

 

Jorge De La Rosa(1-1) ended up with the loss.  Despite losing, he struckout 8 Los Angeles batters in 5 innings.

What the Game Story doesn't tell you

 ......4 hits in 2 games.  Wow this team is loaded. Hopefully some home cooking will help. 
Game 3
NYA 3 LAD 2
Game Story

The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers locked up in an exciting one-run game at Petco Park.  The final score was the New York Yankees 3, the Los Angeles Dodgers 2.

 

New York went ahead for good in the bottom of the 7th inning scoring one runner.  Los Angeles threatened in the 9th but New York was able to put down the rally. 

 

Ryan Franklin(1-0) allowed no runs in 1 and 1/3 innings, and picked up the victory. Mariano Rivera earned the save, his 4th.  Brandon Lyon(0-1) was the loser in relief. 

What the Game Story doesn't tell you

A hard fought game where the Dodgers and Yankees traded leads. Once the Yanks took the lead in the 7th it was Rivera time for 2 innings. They were not easy with 3 hits allowed in the 3 innings.  Mark made some great moves but NY just held on.

Cabrera came to the plate after going 4-4 with 2 runners on and 2 outs in the ninth. Rivera on the mound and the next batter behind was a L 9R so Rivera pitches to him and gets him to fly out WHEW!!!!!!

Game 4
NYA 5 LAD 4
Game Story

In the bottom of the 7th inning New York went on top for good as they scored 2 runs on 2 base hits.  The highlight belonged to Carlos Ruiz who brought a roar from the partisan Petco Park fans when he doubled scoring two base runners.  Los Angeles had a chance in the 9th but they came up short.

 

The victory was credited to Eric O'Flaherty(1-0) who went 1 inning, allowing no runs. O'Flaherty was helped out by Mariano Rivera who recorded his 5th save.  Brandon Lyon(0-2) was given the loss in relief. 

What the Game Story doesn't tell you

Where to start. Any runner that went for an extra base was thrown out, EXCEPT for a hit and run that missed and a 40% chance steal was safe.  That was the difference. LA got to Rivera in the 9th and on a 1-17 chance the tying run was thrown out at the plate on an amazing play by CHOOCH, AKA Carlos Ruiz.

With a trip back to LA guaranteed NYA started feeling good but the veteran Dodgers were still not worried.

Game 5
LAD 4 NYA 2
Game Story

The Los Angeles Dodgers came roaring back in the top of the ninth to spoil the anticipated celebration of the hometown fans.  The final score, was 4 to2.

 

Los Angeles won the game with a rally in the 9th inning when they tallied 4 runs on 1 hit.  The critical plate appearance was by Geovany Soto who silenced Petco Park as he quieted the crowd by clouting a Grand Slam.  Los Angeles won despite being out-hit by New York 6 hits to 2. 

 

The victory went to Neftali Feliz(1-0) who went 1 and 1/3 innings, allowing no runs. Dennys Reyes recorded his 1st save.  Eric O'Flaherty(1-1) was tagged with the loss in relief. 

What the story doesn't tell you

There was not a run till the 9th.  Lincecum got pulled in a 1 hitter after 7 to try to get some offense. The only other hit the Dodgers got was a GRAND SLAM by Soto, against a Righty. NYA fought back to get 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th, but came up short. The Dodgers fly home needing only 1 win to celebrate in front of their adoring fans and go to the World Series

Game 6
NYA 7 LAD 3
Game Story

Second baseman Robinson Cano homered and had 2 RBI as the New York Yankees topped the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 7 to 3 at Dodger Stadium.

 

Los Angeles was unable to claim the lead after New York went ahead in the topo f the 7th inning as they scored 3 runs on 2 base hits.  The highlight belonged to Cano who deflated the spirits of the home town crowd when he popped a two-run clout over the fence.  New York had 10 hits for the

afternoon while Los Angeles had 7. 

 

Ryan Franklin(2-0) was the winner allowing no runs in 1/3 of an inning. Javier Lopez(0-1) took the loss in relief.  He pitched 1/3 of an inning and surrendered 1 hit and no walks.

What the Game Story doesn't tell you

NYA had had NO homers in the first 5 games. Finally in the 7th inning of game 6 (after me realizing this had happened) Cano drives one deep to take the lead and Encarnacion hits one in the 8th to make the lead stick.  It all comes down to 1 game for the right to go to the World Series

Game 7
LAD 6 NYA 3
Game Story

Carl Crawford had 3 base hits and C.J. Wilson took a no-hitter into the 8th inning at Dodger Stadium as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees by the count of 6 to 3.

 

Wilson(4-0) pitched a solid game.  He was reached for 2 hits and 2 walks in 7 and 2/3 innings.  The left-handed Wilson lost a no-hitter when Carlos Beltran doubled with one out in the 8th inning.  New York could do no damage in the 9th. 

 

Neftali Feliz earned his 1st save.  Andy Pettitte(1-1) suffered the loss.  He pitched 4 and 2/3 innings giving up 4 hits and 3 walks.

What the Game Story doesn't tell you

A couple errors and some great hits and LA opened up a 6 game lead and had a no hitter through 7.  NYA doesn't give up and scores 3 in the 8th, However the Dodgers are too good and hold on to win the series.  Second game in the series where a team has more runs than hits.

Well played, managed and fun.

STATS
Batting Average
LAD .239
NYA .173

ERA

LAD 2.66
NYA 3.90

LOB

LAD 56
NYA 33

Mariners Outlast Buccos in Seven

Seattle (AP) - Jon Lester and the Seattle Mariners defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games.  A recap of the series:

Game 1
SEA 5, PITT 3 - Felix Hernandez pitched seven strong innings and Pujols and Braun not hit homers.

Game 2
PITT 8, SEA 7 - Neil Walker hit a grand slam in the 2nd to help Pittsburgh take an early lead; but starter Shawn Marcum faltered as Seattle led after three innings 7-6.  The Pirate bullpen pitched scoreless relief the rest of the way as the Pirates scored single runs in the 4th and 6th for the win.

Game 3
SEA 6, PITT 2 - Jon Lester got Seattle back on track by tossing seven brilliant innings of 2-hit shutout ball.  The heart of the Seattle order, Braun/Pujols/Arod, went 7 for 14 with 4 runs scored and 4 ribbies.

Game 4
PITT 5, SEA 4 (10) - Scrappy Pittsburgh again knotted the series by scoring two runs off Francisco Rodriguez in the 9th and then scoring the game-winner off Billy Wagner in the bottom of the 10th.  Freddie Sanchez hit the walk-off homer vs. Wagner to send the Bucco faithful crazy.

Game 5
SEA 2, PITT 1 - In this back-and-forth series, Felix Hernandez outdueled Johan Santana for a tense victory.  Seattle relievers of O'Day and F. Rodriguez combined to pitch three scoreless innings as Seattle held on for the win.

Game 6
PITT 14, SEA 1 - Justin Verlander got roughed up by the Pirate attack as he gave up 7 runs over 3+ innings.  Pirate starter Shawn Marcum pitched a CG as the Pirates banged out 7 homers off the Mariner pitching staff.

Game 7
SEA 8, PITT 6 - Trailing 5-2 going to the bottom of the 7th, Seattle scored 3 runs in the 7th and 2 in the 8th to finally put away 8th seeded Pittsburgh.  Jose Reyes went 3 for 3 and Y. Molina drove in 3 runs.

Seattle will now face Arizona in the semi-finals..... 

Yanks Eliminate Redbirds

The New York Yankees defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in a quick four game series:


Game 1
NYA 5 STL 3

Second baseman Robinson Cano connected with a 'big fly' and had 3 RBI at Chase

Field as the New York Yankees beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5 to 3.

 

Tim Lincecum(1-0) had a solid outing for New York.  He went 6 and 1/3 innings

and surrended up 7 hits and 1 walk.  Lincecum whiffed an impressive total of

7 St. Louis batters.  New York totaled 11 hits on the night. 

 

Lincecum got help from Mariano Rivera who was credited with his 1st save.  The loss was charged to Ubaldo Jimenez(0-1).  He gave up 4 runs and 8 hits in 7 innings. 

Game 2
NYA 6 STL 3

At Chase Field the New York Yankees outscored the St. Louis Cardinals 6 to 3.

 

New York took the lead off Ian Kennedy in the first inning when they tallied 3 runs on 3 hits.  The critical plate appearance was by Troy Tulowitzki who quieted the home crowd when he popped a two-run clout over the fence.  St.Louis went down without a fight in the bottom of the 9th. 

 

Jorge De La Rosa(1-0) got credit for the victory, pitching 6 and 2/3 innings and allowing 2 runs. De La Rosa got help from Mariano Rivera who was credited with his 2nd save.  Kennedy(0-1) ended up with the loss.  He was not very effective, surrendering 4 runs in 3 innings. 

Game 3
NYA 2 STL 1

Troy Tulowitzki had 2 base hits as the New York Yankees topped the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 2 to 1 at Petco Park.

 

New York came up with 1 run in the 3rd inning.  That early scoring was all that Andy Pettitte(1-0) needed.  Neither team managed to score after the 3rd inning. 

 

Pettitte got help from Mariano Rivera who was credited with his 3rd save.  Yovani Gallardo(0-1) was hit with the loss.  He pitched 7 innings giving up 6 hits and 5 walks.

Game 4
NYA 4 STL 3

The hometown crowd was rewarded with a dramatic ending, as the New York Yankees staged a comeback win over the St. Louis Cardinals by the count of 4 to 3.

 

New York had the winning rally in the 9th inning with 2 runs utilizing 2 base hits.  After an out was recorded, Garrett Jones jump-started the rally as he doubled scoring the final run of the inning.  New York had only 5 hits for the afternoon. 

 

Matt Albers(1-0) got credit for the victory, pitching 1 inning and allowing no runs. Ubaldo Jimenez(0-2) was the loser.  'That was exciting!,' Troy Tulowitzki said.  'I would have paid money to watch this one.'

Dodgers Sweep Defending Champs

What a difference a year makes.....Last season, the Kansas City Royals were riding high as they knocked out a very tough Seattle squad to capture the World Series.  But, the champs will not be repeating as the upstart Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the Royals in four games.  A recap of the series:

(Game #1) LA 5, KC 1  - CJ Wilson gets the win by pitching 5 innings of 1-run ball.  Then, six Dodger relievers shut out KC the rest of the way.  Miguel Cabrera hit a homer and drove in 2 runs.  Hanley Ramirez went five-for-five for KC.

(Game #2) LA 4, KC 3 (12) - Carl Crawford hit the game winning single in bottom of the 12th.  Cabrera drove in 2 more runs and nine LA pitchers saw action in this one.  Hanley Ramirez drove in 2 runs with a homer for the Royals.

(Game #3) LA 8, KC 2 - Tommy Hanson pitched a complete game striking out 8.  Jamey Carroll hit a double and triple for LA.

(Game #4) LA 14, KC 3 - Danny Haren gives up 7 runs in the first two innings as the Dodgers roll.  Cabrera hit two homers and drove in 5 runs.  CJ Wilson notches his second win of the series.

Dodgers now await the winner of the Cardinal-Yankee series.......

Diamondbacks Eliminate Angels in Six Games

The Arizona Diamonbacks, behind strong starting pitching, eliminated Anaheim in six games.  A recap of the series:

 

 

GAME 1

Arizona 2, Anaheim 0

Jered Weaver and Jose Valverde combined on a 5-hitter. Jose Bautista homered in the 4th and Shane Victorino added an RBI single in the 5th.

 

GAME 2

Anaheim 8, Arizona 6

The Angels rallied from a 4-0 deficit after Carlos Pena capped a big 1st inning with a 3-run HR. But Mark Teixeira hit a 2-run HR in the 4th, then highlighted a 5-run 5th with a 2-run single. Dustin Pedroia made it interesting in the 9th with a 2-run HR for the D-backs.

 

GAME 3

Arizona 4, Anaheim 0

The D-backs recorded their second shutout in three games as Jaime Garcia and Jose Valverde scattered 7 hits. Shane Victorino homered and Jose Bautista added a pair of RBI singles for the winners.

 

GAME 4

Anaheim 2, Arizona 1

Bobby Abreu snapped a 1-1 tie with a HR in the 11th. Casey McGehee homered in the 2nd for the Angels while Kosuke Fukudome tied it with a round-tripper in the 8th. Jered Weaver went the distance for the D-backs, allowing just four hits.

 

GAME 5

Arizona 4, Anaheim 3

Jose Valverde worked out of a 2-on, 2-out jam in the 9th for his third save of the series. Shane Victorino's RBI single snapped a 3-3 tie in the 6th.

 

GAME 6

Arizona 3, Anaheim 1

Diamondbacks pitching, which had a 1.95 ERA for the series, was dominating in the clincher as Dallas Braden and three relievers held the Angels to 4 hits. A.J. Pierzynski snapped a 1-1 tie with a HR in the 7th. Jose Valverde, meanwhile, added his fourth save.

2010 Final Team Bullpen Stats

Strat-O-Matic Report

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ZTeam Bullpen
Team                        ReERA ReW ReL Sv
--------------------------- ----- --- --- --
Arizona Diamondbacks (ARN)    2.17  25  20 52
Anaheim Angels (ANA)          2.62  27  11 55
Los Angeles Dodgers (LAN)     2.85  26  17 55
Seattle Mariners (SEA)        3.01  23  19 55
New York Yankees (NYA)        3.32  17  12 40
Atlanta Braves (ATN)          3.33  27  18 43
St. Louis Cardinals (SLN)     3.36  18  15 43
Kansas City Royals (KCA)      3.39  21  23 44
Boston Red Sox (BOA)          3.60  20  28 43
Florida Marlins (FLN)         3.78  18  22 45
Oakland A's (OAA)             3.94  20  17 35
Houston Astros (HON)          4.04  17  25 38
Cleveland Indians (CLA)       4.14  23  19 50
Washington Nationals (WAN)    4.16  19  23 43
San Francisco Giants (SFN)    4.28  16  12 17
Minnesota Twins (MNA)         4.48  15  14 34
Toronto Blue-Jays (TOA)       4.61  11  28 41
Pittsburgh Pirates (PIN)      4.87  24  20 40
Chicago White Sox (CHA)       4.97  16  26 43
Philadelphia Phillies (PHN)   5.34   8  26 29

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2010 Final Team Clutch Hitting

Strat-O-Matic Report

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Team Clutch Hitting
Team                        ClAB ClH ClHR ClRBI ClAvg
--------------------------- ---- --- ---- ----- -----
St. Louis Cardinals (SLN)     651 176   32   237  .270
Anaheim Angels (ANA)          656 177   19   234  .270
Oakland A's (OAA)             655 171   19   227  .261
Los Angeles Dodgers (LAN)     708 182   24   262  .257
Pittsburgh Pirates (PIN)      603 148   11   179  .245
Kansas City Royals (KCA)      673 165   25   213  .245
Cleveland Indians (CLA)       653 160   19   205  .245
Houston Astros (HON)          574 139   29   189  .242
Florida Marlins (FLN)         613 147   21   199  .240
Arizona Diamondbacks (ARN)    725 173   25   229  .239
Toronto Blue-Jays (TOA)       590 140   16   176  .237
Chicago White Sox (CHA)       612 142   25   193  .232
Atlanta Braves (ATN)          707 164   17   208  .232
Philadelphia Phillies (PHN)   645 149   12   177  .231
Seattle Mariners (SEA)        666 152   18   183  .228
New York Yankees (NYA)        599 136   17   183  .227
San Francisco Giants (SFN)    607 135   14   161  .222
Minnesota Twins (MNA)         605 134   21   177  .221
Washington Nationals (WAN)    624 134   10   149  .215
Boston Red Sox (BOA)          589 126    9   160  .214

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Astros' Hamilton Chasing League Records

Josh Hamilton is  chasing the record book.  Has an outside chance of a triple crown.  Leading in Average, tied for 2nd in HR (1 behind) and 4th in RBI (6 RBI behind).  Put some slow on base monsters in front of Hamilton for the final block to get him some more RBI chances.  In addition to it, letting him bat against lefties.  There in lies the rub.  His .383 batting average puts him in the running for the single season record for batting average as well.  If he got 40 ABs in the last 12 games he would need 18 hits to go to .388 to best Albert Pujols' record of .387 he set in 2003.  With batting against lefties probably won't happen.

Royals Are Champs!!

Kansas City (AP) - The Kansas City Royals dispatched the defending champion Seattle Mariners in five games to win the 2009 Millennium League World Series.  A recap of the games:

Game 1 - KC scores 5 runs in the top of the 9th to come back and win 7-4. Belisaio gets the win. Hoffman gets the loss. Broxton with the save.

Game 2 - Another comeback win for the Royals. 1 run in the 8th and 3 in the 9th to take an 8-6 lead. Belisario shut down the Mariners in the 9th after pitching the 7th and 8th to earn the victory. K-Rod was roughed up for the loss allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and not registering an out.

Game 3 - To KC! Royals pull ahead in the bottom on the 6th and the bullpen held on and shut out the Mariners the rest of the way. Drew has 2 HR's.

Game 4 - Pujols comes up big for the M's and they are able to hold on to win 8-7.

Game 5 - KC has a big inning in the 6th scoring 5 run on 6 hits including a 2 run HR by Adrian Gonzalez. Troncosco came in in the 5th inning and threw 3 solid innings in relief and Broxton got the save in the 9th.

Mariners Will Face Royals in World Series

Mariner ace Felix Hernandez came through with a clutch performance in game 7 as Seattle beat Arizona 5-2 to advance to the World Series.  A recap of the series:

Game 1: Felix Hernandez vs Brad Bergesen
Diamondback grabbed a couple of runs early against Felix Hernandez while Bergesen shut down the Mariners. Steven Jackson came in relief in the seventh inning and continued to put down Mariner hitters until running into some trouble in the 9th. Jose Valverde came in to save the game but allowed a 2 run homerun by Alex Rodriguez with 2 outs in the ninth inning to tie it. Valverde beaned Brandon Phillips in the 10th. Phillips then stole second and third and was singled in by Brendan Ryan to take the lead. Francisco Rodriguez struck out the side to earn the save as the Mariners steal a 3-2 victory in 10 innings.

Game 2: Justin Verlander vs Randy Wells
Randy Wells had a strong pitching performance while Adam Jones had a good day at the plate. The D-back put up four runs in the 3rd to take a 4-1 lead. Seattle closed the gap by one in the top of the 5th but Jones blasted a 2 run homer in the bottom half to provide some breathing room. Yunel Escobar and Martin Prado also went yard to help the Diamondbacks win game 2 easily 8-3.

Game 3: Jon Lester vs Jered Weaver
Shane Victorino hit Lester’s first pitch over the fence for a quick lead and Rafael Furcal hit another solo homerun in the 2nd to make it 2-0 but Seattle quickly tied it two in the bottom half with a Travis Hafner homerun. Alex Rodriguez hit a 2 run blast in the 5th for a 2 run lead but the Diamondbacks got two of their own in the 7th after Rafael Furcal led off the inning with a triple. Brandon Phillips answered in the 8th with 2 run shot and mid-season acquisition Trevor Hoffman proved valuable by keeping Arizona scoreless the last 2 2/3 innings for a 6-4 Mariner victory.

Game 4: Felix Hernandez vs Barry Zito
The winds were blowing out at Safeco as both starters got chased early. Zito allowed 8 runs in less than 5 innings while Hernandez left a little less damage for his team by allowing 6 runs in less than five. The Mariners put up 10 runs in the first 6 innings helped by a 5 run fifth inning which included a 3 run Alex Rodriguez homerun. Brandon Phillips and Rodriguez each contributed 3 RBI. Randy Johnson pitched 4 2/3 in relief allowing only 1 run to earn the victory in his farewell tour. Mariners coast 10-6.

Game 5: Justin Verlander vs Dallas Braden
Seattle asks a struggling Verlander to close out the series at home against Braden. Verlander struggles continue early as the Diamondbacks put up six in the first 3 innings led by Dustin Pedroia and Yunel Escobar, and Oscar Salazar each adding 2 RBI. Braden didn’t allow a run in 6 innings and gave way to Doug Mathis who allowed four runs in the last 3 innings to earn the save.

Game 6: Roy Oswalt vs Brad Bergesen
Oswalt closed out round 1 in the sixth game for Seattle and was asked to do the same while Bergesen tried to continue his magic from game 1. As usual, Arizona struck first with 2 runs in the second with a Adam Jones 2 run homer. Seattle answered back with 2 in the fifth to tie hit but Pedroia had a RBI single the same inning to give Arizona the lead back at 3-2. His next at bat in the seventh, Pedroia blasted a 2 run homer for a 6-2 lead. Doug Mathis picked his second save as the Diamondbacks don’t allow an earned run in their 6-4 victory to force a game 7.

Game 7: Felix Hernandez vs Randy Wells
Wells pitched well in game 2 while Hernandez was rocked his last start in game 4. Hernandez came ready this time. King Felix pitched 7 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts. Albert Pujols and Carlos Quentin each had quiet series but finally contributed when it mattered by hitting homeruns. Faced with a 5-0 deficit in the 9th inning, the Diamondbacks started a rally against David Aardsma and Francisco Rodriguez before leaving the tying run at the plate as Seattle wins 5-2 and moves on to the championship.