Seattle Mariners are 2011 Champions!

The Seattle Mariners won their third Millennium League World Series over the Oakland Athletics.  A recap of the series:

 

Game 1:  Chris Carpenter of OAK vs. Justin Verlander of SEA.

Albert Pujols started the scoring with a 2 run HR in the first inning.  In the fourth inning, Verlander walks Matt Kemp, Aramis Ramirez, and Gaby Sanchez to load the bases before giving up his first hit to Nolan Reimold who doubles in all three for the A's first lead.  In the bottom of the 8th, Wil Venable hits a 2 run blast of Carpenter to chase him and  pull out a 4-3 Seattle victory as K-Rod pitches the 9th for the save.
 

Game 2:  Tim Hudson of OAK vs. Felix Hernandez of SEA.

Jimmy Rollins leads off the game with a single and Todd Helton singles him in three batters later.  Helton would add a home run later in the game as Tony Gwynn Jr contributed 2 hits and 2 runs as well while Tim Hudson cruises to a 5-0 victory by only allows 3 hits without walking a batter.
 

Game 3:  Jon Lester of SEA vs. Brandon Beachy of OAK.

This was quite the pitchers duel as both teams traded zeros for the first 7 innings.  Lester lasted 6 1/3 IP with 2 hits, 3 walks and 6 k's while Beachy went 7 IP allowing 1 hit with 3 walks and 7 k's.  In the 8th inning, Carlos Quentin delivers a PH single of Cassey Janssen and Jose Reyes doubled him home for the 1-0 lead.  In the bottom of the 9th, George Kottaras doubles of K-Rod, Bryan Petersen strikes out, Nick Punto delivers a PH triple to tie the game, Todd Helton PH and is intentionally walked to face Austin Jackson who chokes in the clutch.  Jackson hits a slow roller to A-Rod at 3rd base but he dropped the ball on the exchange for the error to end the inning and Punto scored from third to end the game.  Oakland steals one 2-1 and goes up in the series 2-1 as each team only manages 4 hits.
 

Game 4: Justin Verlander vs. Chris Carpenter

Gaby Sanchez starts the 2nd innings with a double and Reimold knocks him in with a single to give the A's a quick 1-0 lead.  Albert Pujols hits a 2 run homer in the 4th to give Seattle the lead.  Seattle adds another run in the 5th with a A-Rod single, stolen base and K. Fukodome single for a 3-1 Mariner lead.  John Buck tries to keep it close for the A's by saving a run in the 7th by blocking the plate but Verlander remained untouchable in the postseason by scattering 3 hits through 8 innings before giving way to K-Rod in the 9th who add two strikeouts in an uneventful save opportunity to tie the series at 2 and secure the 3-1 Mariner victory.

 

Game 5:  Felix Hernandez vs. Tim Hudson

Tim Hudson carried over his groove from game 2 but King Felix was there to match him each inning as each team exchanged goose eggs early.  In the 6th, Austin Jackson reached on a Jose Reyes error and sped around to score on a Jimmy Rollins single for the first score of the game.  In the bottom of the 7th, Oakland threatened to add to their one run lead.  With runners in scoring position they decided to let Hudson bat and trust his arm the rest of the game.  He didn't come through with a RBI in the 7th and he was stuck to protect a one run lead. Leading off the 8th inning, Jose Reyes doubled, Wil Venable singled in Reyes to tie the game, stole second, scored on a Pujols single for the Mariner 2-1 lead.  Yadier Molina silenced the crowd with a 2 run blast off Hisanori Takahashi to open up the game 4-1.  Seattle steals one late and head to Seattle up 3 games to 2.
 

Game 6: Erik Bedard of OAK vs. Roy Oswalt of SEA

Both teams went with their weakest starters in this game as it was clear both teams were prepared to use their bullpens in this one.  Each team put one on the board in the first inning and A's added a second run in the second inning.  A's add two in the fourth while the Mariners answer with one in the fourth and one in the fifth.  After six innings, Oakland clung to a 4-3 lead as Casey Janssen was on the mound relieving Bedard and Alfredo Aceves was keeping it close for Seattle in relief of Oswalt. Oakland added another run in the seventh to chase Aceves.  Seattle finds an answer in the 8th with a hit of Sean Marshall and three consecutive hits off Joel Hanrahan to tie the score at 5  Marco Estrada came in mitigate the damage and get out of the inning.  Oakland posed a threat in the 9th with two walks of Al Alburquerque but was unable to score.  In the bottom of the 9th Estrada allowed a Pujols single and got Yadier Molina to line out.  Takahashi came in to relieve Estrada and face a cold Brandon Phillips who was 3-18 in the series against Oakland.  Phillips took his series frustrations out on Takahashi's pitch and put in the bleachers for a season walk-off victory.  Clinching the pennant and the Mariner's first title since 2008.

 

World Series MVP goes to Albert Pujols who had 2 big HR and some other big hits.

Justin Verlander collects the trophy for outstanding playoff MVP (if it exists) as he collects half of the team's 12 playoff victories.  No wonder Kate Upton likes the guy.
 

Congratulations to Jack Mudd and the stellar season his A's had.  It was a fun series.  On to 2012!

Giants Take Second Pick

The San Francisco Giants moved up to the second spot in the 2012 draft with a winning lottery number of 5-0-9.

Marlins Nabs #1 Pick

Congrats to Drew Stevenson and his Miami Marlins who snatched the 1st pick in the 2012....The winning number was 3-5-6.

Hudson Leads Oakland into World Series

In a close series Oakland beat Los Angeles in 7 games to advance to the World Series.  Most of the games were suspenseful with many pitching changes and pinch hitters.  A's CF Austin Jackson had one of the greatest defensive performances in baseball history in game 5.  Overall the A's defense was excellent, they did not commit an error in the series and their OF's robbed LA of 4 HR's. 

 

CO-MVP's - Matt Kemp and Tim Hudson.  Kemp went only 8-31 at the plate but hit 3 HR's, had 5 SB's and was usually in the middle of A's rallies.  Hudson went 2-1, pitching 20 1/3 innings and giving up 4 runs while hurling a one-hit gem in game 7.  Austin Jackson almost deserves MVP solely for his incredible game 5 but didn't do much the rest of the series. 

 

For the Dodgers Daniel Hudson was very good in both of his starts.  LA star Miguel Cabrera underperformed, going 4-26 with 2 HR's and committing 2 costly errors in LA's game 7 meltdown. 

 

 

Game 1: LA 3-1   The Dodgers took game 1 thanks to the pitching and hitting of C.J. Wilson.  Wilson had 2 RBI singles along with giving up 2 runs in 6 innings.  Both team's hurlers combined to walk 14 hitters, leading to both managers griping about Mike Everett's umpiring skills. 

 

Game 2: Oakland 9-2    A.J. Ellis smacked a pinch hit grand slam to break open a close game.  Brandon Beachy pitched 7 shutout innings while LA SP Matt Garza allowed 14 base runners and 5 runs in 5 2/3.

 

Game 3: LA 4-3    The Dodgers regained the series lead with a walk off win.  Oakland lead 3-2 going into the 8th but LA scored single runs in the 8th and 9th with Brent Morel's RBI single off of Casey Janssen setting off the LA celebration. 

 

Game 4: Oakland 3-1    Matt Kemp homered in the 1st inning to give the A's a lead they would not give up.  SP's Tim Hudson and C.J. Wilson each pitched 6 innings and gave up only one run but Hudson got the win. 

 

Game 5: Oakland 5-3    Oakland scored 3 runs in the 9th for a comeback win in pivotal game 5.  The A's carried a 2-1 lead into the 8th when Dodger OF Matt Joyce hit a rare HR off of a left-handed pitcher (Erik Bedard) to tie the game.  However, LA pitcher Tyson Ross was wild in the 9th, walking 2 and throwing a wild pitch before giving up RBI singles to Matt Kemp and Aramis Ramirez.  The story of the game was Austin Jackson.  The A's CF jumped over the Dodger Stadium fence to rob 3 HR's from LA and saved another run with a diving catch.  To top it off he added an RBI triple and an important sac bunt.  After the game A's manager Jack Mudd said that A-Jax deserved at least a small vanilla ice cream cone for his efforts.    

 

Game 6:  LA 4-1    The Dodgers stayed alive thanks to a 4 run 1st and Daniel Hudson's excellent pitching performance.  Miguel Cabrera blasted a 3 run HR off of Brandon Beachy, D. Hudson went 7 1/3 and gave up only an unearned run.

 

Game 7:  Oakland 8-0   Game 7 was ironically the only game of the series that had no drama.  A's hurler Tim Hudson threw 8 shutout innings while allowing only a single by Matt Joyce in the 6th.  Matt Kemp hit a 3 run HR to key a 7 run 3rd for the A's, who were assisted by LA 1B Miguel Cabrera's 2 errors. 

Seattle Heading to the World Series

Jose Reyes and the Seattle Mariners advanced to the Fall Classic with a convincing 4 games to 1 victory.  A summary of the series:

 

Game 1:  Mariners 6, Yankees 5

Fernando Rodriguez picks up a 4 out save as the Yankees press late one run in each of the last five innings as the Mariners put 3 across in the 5th and 7th.  Mariners are led by Jose Reyes 2-4 day with 3 RBI.

Game 2:  Mariners 6, Yankees 2

Justin Verlander goes the distance allowing solo homeruns to Pablo Sandoval and Troy Tulowitzski.  Jose Reyes goes 2-4 again and Albert Pujols launches a 3 run homerun for a 6-2 Mariner victory.

Game 3:  Mariners 2, Yankees 0

Jon Lester pitches a 3 hit shutout.  Jose Reyes has another tremendous game going 3-4.  K. Fukodome also collected 3 hits and A-rod hit a homerun for a 2-0 Mariner victory.

Game 4:  Yankees 7, Mariners 6

Yankees knock out Felix Hernandez early with 5 runs in the first 2 innings for a 5-1 lead.  Ryan Braun hit his second homerun of the game in the 8th for 2 runs and tie it at 5 off Johnny Venters.  Robbie Cano led off the 8th inning with a triple off Christian Martinez.  Darren Oliver wasn't able to help out the situation and allowed a double and another hit which led to a total of 2 Yankee runs in the inning.  Mo Rivera was brought in to close it out and made it exciting by allowing 3 hits and a run but was able to finish the Yankee victory 7-6 and avoid the sweep. Edwin Encarnacion went 2-3 with 2 RBI and a HR for the pinstripes.

 

Game 5:  Mariners 3, Yankees 0

Justin Verlander scattered 3 hits for a CG shutout with 12 punchouts to close out the series.  Albert Pujols hit his 3rd HR of the series while Brandon Phillips went 3-3 to pace the Mariners in a 3-0 victory.  Yankees had some trouble in the field with 3 errors.  

 

2012 Lottery Info

2012 Draft Lottery Info

We will be conducting our draft lottery on Wednesday, September 17th and Thursday, September 18th.....

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.


2012 Lottery Drawing Chances:

000 to 249 – Atlanta (45-117)

250 to 449 – Miami (58-104)

450 to 604 – San Francisco (59-103)

605 to 724 – Cleveland (62-100)

725 to 814 – Pittsburgh (70-92)

815 to 879 – Boston (75-87)

880 to 924 – Philadelphia (77-85)

925 to 954 – Washington (79-83)

955 to 974 – St. Louis (83-79)

975 to 986 – Toronto (84-78)

987 to 994 – Chicago (85-77, 11-7 vs. Minnesota in tie-breaker)

995 to 999 – Minnesota (85-77)


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

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