 | April 25: Javy Lopez bombed a two-run dinger (his 4th of the season) to give the Yankees an exciting come from behind win over Philly. |
 | May 5: Toronto pulled the game out in the 12th inning as catcher Mike Matheny ripped a solo home run (his 1st of the season) giving Toronto the win much to the delight of the home town crowd. |
 | May 10: Boston won the hard fought contest in the 10th inning as Jason Varitek hit a bases-empty home run (his 5th of the season) resulting in an exciting win for Boston and a raucous post-game celebration by the home town fans. |
 | May 11: Tony Clark launched 2 homeruns and had 4 RBI at The Ballpark as the Cleveland Indians won a thriller over the San Francisco Giants 5 to 4. Cleveland won the game with a run in the bottom of the 9th inning as Clark delivered a solo blast (his 11th of the season) making Cleveland the victors to the delight of the home town faithful. Giants.......... 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 - 4 10 0 Indians......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 5 11 0 T.Worrell LOSS(0-2), S.Hasegawa WIN(4-1) HOME RUNS- J.Kent(5th), J.Morneau(3rd), T.Clark-2(11th) |
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Around the League - Walk Off Homers
Four walk off homers occurred in the second block of games:
Monday, June 22, 2009
Indians Acquire John Patterson
Cleveland (AP) - The Indians recently acquired righty starter John Patterson from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for relief pitcher Kevin Gregg and a 2006 6th round draft pick. Patterson, in three previous seasons with the Dodgers, was just 3-6 with a 4.56 ERA. He is 1-4 with a 4.29 ERA in 50 innings this year.Gregg, a 7th round pick by Cleveland in the 2004 Draft, was 4-3 with a 5.88 ERA in 90 innings last season.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Current Standings Midway Thru Block 2
Strat-O-Matic Report
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2005 Millennium League
Brock WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
2005 Cleveland CLA 14 10 .583 ---- 134
2005 Florida FLN 18 15 .545 .5
2005 Anaheim ANA 20 19 .513 1.5
2005 Seattle SEA 10 20 .333 7.0
2005 San Francisco SFN 10 23 .303 8.5
Killebrew WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
2005 Kansas City KCA 15 9 .625 ---- 137
2005 Toronto TOA 16 11 .593 .5
2005 Houston HON 14 13 .519 2.5
2005 Atlanta ATN 16 20 .444 5.0
2005 Los Angeles LAN 11 22 .333 8.5
Koufax WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
2005 Oakland OAA 13 8 .619 ---- 139
2005 Boston BOA 16 11 .593 ----
2005 Arizona ARN 13 11 .542 1.5
2005 Pittsburgh PIN 10 11 .476 3.0
2005 Washington WAN 7 14 .333 6.0
Aaron WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
2005 Minnesota MNA 22 14 .611 ---- 125
2005 Philadelphia PHN 19 17 .528 3.0
2005 New York NYA 19 17 .528 3.0
2005 St. Louis SLN 17 16 .515 3.5
2005 Chicago CHA 20 19 .513 3.5
Phillies Acquire Andruw Jones
Philadelphia (AP) - The Phillies acquired centerfielder Andruw Jones from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for their 2006 Round 1 draft pick. Entering this season, Jones had played 772 games for the Braves and had a .266 career average with a 172 homers (15th on the all-time list). However, Jones was hitting just .189 with 6 homers through May 11th of this season.The Phillies have a history of trading their future season #1 round draft picks away to acquire players. Last season, the Fightin' Phils acquired Jim Thome from the Indians for their top pick. And, two seasons ago, Greg Maddux from the Braves was acquired for the Phils' #1 rounder.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Current Standings Midway Thru Block 1
Strat-O-Matic Report
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 2005 Millennium League
Brock WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
2005 Cleveland CLA 6 3 .667 ---- 152
2005 Anaheim ANA 7 5 .583 .5
2005 Florida FLN 9 9 .500 1.5
2005 Seattle SEA 6 9 .400 3.0
2005 San Francisco SFN 5 10 .333 4.0
Killebrew WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
2005 Kansas City KCA 12 3 .800 ---- 149
2005 Toronto TOA 3 3 .500 4.5
2005 Atlanta ATN 5 7 .417 5.5
2005 Houston HON 1 2 .333 5.0
2005 Los Angeles LAN 0 3 .000 6.0
Koufax WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
2005 Boston BOA 2 1 .667 ---- 159
2005 Oakland OAA 6 6 .500 .5
2005 Pittsburgh PIN 4 5 .444 1.0
2005 Arizona ARN 4 5 .444 1.0
2005 Washington WAN 1 2 .333 1.0
Aaron WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
2005 Chicago CHA 9 6 .600 ---- 148
2005 Philadelphia PHN 8 7 .533 1.0
2005 Minnesota MNA 6 6 .500 1.5
2005 New York NYA 10 11 .476 2.0
2005 St. Louis SLN 7 8 .467 2.0
Saturday, May 23, 2009
White Sox Young Guns
Chicago - The White Sox have been slowly rebuilding their team and now have a strong nucleus of players, including third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes. A recap of the White Sox recent drafts:2005
1 Hernandez,F 2 Jacobs,M 2 Maholm,P
2004
1 Wright,D 1 Rios,A 2 Gonzalez,M 3 Qualls,C 3
2003
1 Reyes,J 1 Bonderman,J 2 Phillips,B 2 Betancourt,R 2 Heilman,A
The White Sox are 5-1 in the early going.......
Monroe Hits Walk-Off Homer for Yankees
| Craig Monroe hit a 2-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th to give New York an exciting 2-1 win over St. Louis. Roger Clemens was brilliant for New York - he pitched 10 innings and gave up only one unearned run. |
Strat-O-Matic Report
BOXSCORE: 2005 St. Louis Cardinals At 2005 New York Yankees 4/7/2005
Cardinals AB R H RBI AVG Yankees AB R H RBI AVG
E.Renteria SS 4 0 2 1 .348 D.Dejesus CF 4 1 1 0 .217
P.Polanco 2B 5 0 0 0 .435 M.Teahen 3B 4 0 1 0 .091
J.Drew RF 3 0 0 0 .000 C.Monroe LF 5 1 2 2 .500
P.Konerko 1B 4 0 0 0 .316 J.Uribe SS 2 0 0 0 .170
J.Edmonds CF 4 0 0 0 .111 W.Pena RF 4 0 1 0 .209
J.Lane LF 4 1 2 0 .227 E.Alfonzo 2B 4 0 1 0 .227
M.Mora 3B 4 0 0 0 .158 D.Mientkiewicz 1B 4 0 1 0 .083
J.Estrada C 4 0 0 0 .091 C.Snyder C 4 0 0 0 .125
B.Chen P 3 0 1 0 .333 R.Clemens P 4 0 0 0 .000
A-R.Branyan PH 1 0 0 0 .143
C.Cordero P 0 0 0 0 ----
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 36 1 5 1 Totals 35 2 7 2
A-Pinch Hit For Chen In 10th Inning
Cardinals....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 1 5 0
Yankees......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 2 7 1
Cardinals (3-2) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
B.Chen 9 6 0 0 3 7 0 0.00
C.Cordero L(0-1) BS(1st) 0 1/3 1 2 2 1 1 1 10.80
Totals 9 1/3 7 2 2 4 8 1
Yankees IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
R.Clemens WIN(2-1) 10 5 1 0 2 8 0 2.18
Totals 10 5 1 0 2 8 0
ATTENDANCE- 56,532 DATE- Sunday, April 7th 2005 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average
UMPIRES- Doug Eddings, Charlie Reliford, Mark Carlson, Dana Demuth
T- 2:49
LEFT ON BASE- Cardinals: 7 Yankees: 9
DOUBLE PLAYS- Cardinals: 0 Yankees: 0
ERRORS- E.Alfonzo
DOUBLES- J.Lane(2nd), M.Teahen(2nd)
HOME RUNS- C.Monroe(4th)
WALKS- E.Renteria, J.Drew, D.Dejesus, M.Teahen, J.Uribe-2
STRIKE OUTS- P.Polanco-2, J.Drew, P.Konerko, M.Mora-3, B.Chen, M.Teahen-2,
C.Monroe-2, J.Uribe, W.Pena, D.Mientkiewicz, R.Clemens
Roger Clemens went 10 strong innings at Petco Park where the New York Yankees
beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 10 innings by the score of 2 to 1.
The score was a scoreless tie after nine. New York ended up winning it in the
10th inning. David Dejesus started the inning off right when he drew a walk.
Mark Teahen got his chance to keep things going, but he went down on
strikes. Craig Monroe then cleared the fences for a two-run home run (his
4th of the season) giving New York the victory and sending the 56,532
home-town fans home happy. New York managed 7 hits in their victory.
Clemens(2-1) was the winner allowing 1 run for the game. Chad Cordero(0-1) was
the losing pitcher in relief. When questioned, Ron Tidrow remarked, 'It's
been a while since a win felt this good - heck, it's been a while since we
had a win period!'
Royals Expecting Big Crowds at Kaufmann Stadium
Kansas City (AP) - The Royals are the hottest team in the league right now as they jumped fast out of the gate with a strong 12-3 mark. The Royals have never made the playoffs. Kansas City's past won-lost records:2004: 65 - 97 (5th Place)
2003: 57 - 105 (5th Place)
2002: 75 - 87 (2nd Place)
2001: 82 - 80 (3rd Place)
2000: 71 - 91 (5th Place)
Time will tell to see if the Royals are for real this season, but expect some big crowds at Kaufmann Stadium in the early going.....
Twins & Tribe Deal
Minnesota (AP) - The Twins acquired veteran reliever Todd Jones from Cleveland in exchange for Adam LaRoche and a fourth round pick in the 2006 draft. Jones has a career 13-12 record, 47 saves and a 5.55 ERA while playing for the Indians and Phillies. The right handed reliever is expected to close for the Twins. Adam LaRoche, drafted by Minnesota in the second round of the 2004 draft, hit .237 with 4 homers in limited playing time last season.
Opening Day Around the League
 | Dontrelle Willis pitched strong into the 9th inning as the defending champions St. Louis Cardinals opened the 2005 season with a win over Minnesota. |
 | Rookie Robinson Cano drove in two runs as the New York Yankees cruised to a 8 to 3 victory over Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park in their home opener. |
 | Chris Carpenter, who the Blue Jays are counting on for a big season, shut down Atlanta in Toronto’s home opener. |
 | Carlos Zambrano out-pitched Roy Oswalt in an exciting home opener for Oakland. Pirates......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 0 A's............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X - 1 5 0 R.Oswalt LOSS(0-1), C.Zambrano WIN(1-0), J.Isringhaus SAVE(1st HOME RUNS- M.Stairs(1st) |
 | Jeff Kent hit a homer and a pair of doubles as the Giants spoiled the Mariners home Opener with a 8-5 victory. Giants.......... 0 0 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 - 8 13 0 Mariners........ 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 - 5 8 1 L.Hernandez WIN(1-0), J.Baldwin SAVE(1st), E.Milton LOSS(0-1) HOME RUNS- J.Cantu(1st), J.Kent(1st), O.Saenz(1st), D.Mohr(1st), A.Rodriguez(1st) |
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Papelbon Ready To Energize Blue Jays
Toronto - Jonathan Papelbon was selected by the Blue Jays as the 7th player overall in the 2005 draft. The rookie right hander will certainly bring energy to the Jays bullpen and will team up with third round draft pick Derrick Turnbow to form a brand new look for Toronto's bullpen. Last season's closer, Ryan Madson, finished with a 2-6 record, 17 saves and a 4+ ERA and was released in the off season.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
John Smoltz is ready to join Red Sox Rotation
This offseason Red Sox pitcher John Smoltz has been getting ready to go from closer to starting pitcher for the 2nd time in his Hall of Fame career. Since being selected 7th overall in the 2001 draft, all Smoltz has done is save 107 games and help anchor the bullpen as Boston went to it's only World Series in 2002. The most memorable game that postseason was when he and Pedro Martinez combined for a no-hitter in Game 7 of the Semi Final round against Pittsburgh.
This season Smoltz will join Pedro, Derek Lowe, Tim Wakefield and Jose Contreras in the rotation for the 2005 season. Unfortunately the move will leave a huge void in the bullpen but the Red Sox front office believes it will be more valuable to have Smoltz pitch 7 innings in a game rather then 1 or 2. Only time will tell but the Red Sox are looking forward to a good season in 2005.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Woody Williams Back With Cards
St. Louis - Left off the Cardinals protected roster, the Redbirds re-drafted the veteran right hander in the 7th round and immediately signed him to a two-year contract. "Woody has been a key ingredient of the Redbird success these past few years and we wanted him back in St. louis", said Cardinal skipper John Helmbrecht. Williams was initially drafted in the first round in the first Millennium League draft way back in 2000. Over five seasons with St. Louis, Williams has notched 53 career wins. Woody played a huge part in last season's World Series as he fired 7 2/3 innings of 2-hit ball vs. Atlanta in Game #3.
Seattle Acquires Closer Rodriguez
Seattle is quickly improving their team - the latest evidence is with the acquisition of closer Francisco Rodriguez. The Mariners sent Shea Hillenbrand (.266 12 HR's 70 RBI's in 2004) and a #4 round draft pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for the right-handed reliever. Rodriguez, who was the setup man for Brad Lidge last season, finished 9-1 with a 2.88 ERA last season for the Buccos.Seattle also had four draft picks in the top thirty this season and selected Prince Fielder (#1), Ryan Zimmerman (#6), Kelly Johnson (#21) and Kelvim Escobar (#26). With all this new talent, the Mariners are definitely on the upswing.
Robinson Cano Selected #5 by Yankees
New York - The Yankees made second basemen Robinson Cano their first selection in the 2005 draft and immediately slotted the young infielder as a starter at second base. Splitting time last season between Trenton (AA) and Columbus (AAA), Cano batted a combined .283 with 13 HR and 74 RBI in 135 games.....Cano was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.
Mariners Pick First - Select Prince Fielder
Seattle - The Mariners kicked off the 2005 Millennium League draft by selecting power hitting first baseman Prince Fielder. The 21 year old slugger hit .272 with 23 homers and had 78 runs batted in last season for the AA Huntsville Stars. The Mariners project Fielder as a 2006 starter and will play considerably in AAA for the 2005 season.Prior first round draft picks for the Mariners: 2004- Scott Kazmir, 2003-Scott Posednik, 2002-Dave Roberts, 2001-Shea Hillenbrand, 2000-Corey Lidle.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Cardinals Win World Series
St. Louis (AP) - The St. Louis Cardinals won their first Millennium League Championship last night by beating Atlanta in five games. A recap of the series:
Game 1 - STL 12, ATL 3 - Cards batted around in the third inning by scoring seven runs and knocking Rich Harden out of the game. Melvin Mora hit two homers and drove in five runs. Jake Westbrook won his third post season game by pitching a complete game. Cards hit six homers in the game.
Game 2 - STL 8, ATL 5 - Redbirds again knock out a Brave starter early (John Lackey) by taking an early 7-2 lead. Dontrelle Willis gets the win.
Game 3 - STL 5, ATL 1 - Woody Williams limited Atlanta to two hits over 7+ innings and Jim Edmonds hit his 6th homer of the post season to put Atlanta into a 3-0 series hole.
Game 4 - ATL 13, STL 8 - Braves jumped out to an early 13-1 lead in the fifth knocking out Jake Westbrook. John Thomson improved to 4-0 in the post season and leadoff hitter Ray Durham had 4 hits which included two homers in the rout.
Game 5 - STL 10, ATL 6 - Dontrelle Willis pitched strong into the eight inning and Johnny Estrada drove in four runs. Armando Benitez closed out the ninth and finished with a 0.00 ERA and four saves in the post season.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Cardinals Defeat Astros in 5 Games
The St. Louis Cardinals advanced to the Championship Series for the second straight year with a 4-1 Semi-Final series win over Houston. Complete box scores are available by this link. A recap of the series:
Game #1 STL 10, HOU 3 - Cards jumped on Jeff Weaver for 10 runs which included a 7-run 4th inning…..Todd Hollandsworth hit a two-run homer in the 1st to give the Redbirds the early lead
Game #2 STL 4, HOU 2 (10) - Jim Edmonds doubled in the go-ahead run in the 10th and scored an insurance run on the errant throw to the plate on the same play…..Astros’ Jaret Wright and Cards’ Dontrelle Willis pitched strong into the 7th inning
Game #3 HOU 8, STL 2 - Rodrigo Lopez scattered 11 hits in pitching a complete game…..Jerry Hairston drove in 3 runs and David Eckstein had 3 hits
Game #4 STL 11, HOU 6 - Cards again rough up Jeff Weaver early….JD Drew went 5-for-5 and Johnny Estrada had 4 hits….
Game #5 STL 2, HOU 1 - All runs scored on solo homers – Kotsay, Edmonds and pitcher Dontrelle Willis….Armando Benitez escaped a 2-out bases loaded jam in the 8th before pitching a scoreless ninth
The Cardinals will meet the Atlanta Braves in the World Series……
Game #1 STL 10, HOU 3 - Cards jumped on Jeff Weaver for 10 runs which included a 7-run 4th inning…..Todd Hollandsworth hit a two-run homer in the 1st to give the Redbirds the early lead
Game #2 STL 4, HOU 2 (10) - Jim Edmonds doubled in the go-ahead run in the 10th and scored an insurance run on the errant throw to the plate on the same play…..Astros’ Jaret Wright and Cards’ Dontrelle Willis pitched strong into the 7th inning
Game #3 HOU 8, STL 2 - Rodrigo Lopez scattered 11 hits in pitching a complete game…..Jerry Hairston drove in 3 runs and David Eckstein had 3 hits
Game #4 STL 11, HOU 6 - Cards again rough up Jeff Weaver early….JD Drew went 5-for-5 and Johnny Estrada had 4 hits….
Game #5 STL 2, HOU 1 - All runs scored on solo homers – Kotsay, Edmonds and pitcher Dontrelle Willis….Armando Benitez escaped a 2-out bases loaded jam in the 8th before pitching a scoreless ninth
The Cardinals will meet the Atlanta Braves in the World Series……
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Cards Win Game 1 vs. Astros
NEWSPAPER GAME STORIES FOR 2004 Millennium Playoffs Date: 10/9/2004
GAME 1
ST. LOUIS AT HOUSTON
Cardinals....... 3 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 - 10 12 0
Astros.......... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 - 3 8 0
Win:Westbrook(1-1) Loss:Weaver(0-1)
Homeruns- T.Hollandsworth(1st)
Todd Hollandsworth hit a homerun and had 2 RBI as the St. Louis Cardinals
defeated the Houston Astros by the score of 10 to 3 at The Skydome.
St. Louis jumped out to the early lead in the first inning as they scored 3
runs on 3 base hits. The critical plate appearance was by Hollandsworth who
quieted the home crowd when he lifted one out of the park for a two run home
run (his 1st of the season). Overall St. Louis out-hit Houston 12 to 8.
The win was credited to Jake Westbrook(1-1) who went 7 innings allowing 3
runs. Jeff Weaver(0-1) ended up with the loss. He was hit hard and gave up 6
hits and 5 walks in 3 and 2/3 innings.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Final Stats - 2004 First Round Draft Picks
CLASS OF 2004:
_
NAME BAVG GM AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO HB SH DP SB CS E
1-M.Holliday,MON .279 104 384 50 107 26 1 12 42 36 78 3 0 11 2 4 2
2-D.Wright,CHA .256 69 238 39 61 13 0 12 44 20 43 2 0 9 2 0 13
3-J.Mauer,KCA .265 45 113 17 30 10 1 8 18 7 14 0 0 1 0 0 2
5-G.Sizemore,ATN ---- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6-R.Howard,TOA ---- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8-B.Hawpe,HON ---- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9-A.Rios,CHA .243 107 342 35 83 13 4 1 25 34 75 4 0 13 7 4 3
10-A.Gonzalez,KCA .125 17 8 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
11-C.Tracy,NYA .295 142 498 69 147 29 3 12 65 45 64 0 1 17 1 1 26
12-B.Upton,PIN .250 9 32 3 8 0 0 0 1 2 11 2 0 1 0 0 0
16-K.Youkilis,ATN .246 33 118 15 29 6 0 3 14 21 19 5 0 1 0 0 5
17-D.Dejesus,NYA .288 114 382 67 110 11 3 10 37 39 48 12 3 12 9 6 2
18-D.Dellucci,CLA .337 31 98 21 33 3 0 9 21 17 23 3 0 2 2 0 0
_
_
NAME ERA W L PCT G GS CG SH SV IP H R ER HR BB SO
4-S.Kazmir,SEA 12.38 1 4 .200 12 4 0 0 0 32.0 54 46 44 9 21 39
7-C.Young,OAA 5.33 1 2 .333 6 6 0 0 0 27.0 33 16 16 1 13 15
13-J.Duchscherer,HON 5.52 6 4 .600 45 0 0 0 3 89.2 104 64 55 18 32 46
14-Z.Greinke,SFN 3.13 9 2 .818 19 19 1 0 0 138.0 127 51 48 26 15 87
15-E.Bedard,FLN 4.14 6 9 .400 25 25 1 0 0 147.2 150 78 68 13 86 128
19-C.Cordero,SLN 4.73 10 2 .833 69 0 0 0 1 80.0 81 46 42 12 45 82
20-D.Bush,ARN 4.82 5 2 .714 10 10 1 1 0 65.1 70 36 35 5 22 31
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Posada Leads Braves into World Series
The Atlanta Braves defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4 games to 2 to advance to the MSL World Series. Braves catcher Jorge Posada has hit .417 in the postseason and starter John Thomason is 3-0 and carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning of the final deciding game. Click on the this link for all boxscores. A recap of the games:
Series is tied 1-1 so far....
Game 3 Zito v Harden..... Pirates get 2 in top of 1st but Atl answers with 3. Atlanta batters Zito and everyone else throwing a pitch. Atl gets 4 HR's in a 15-5 win. Durham has 4 rbi. Series is 2-1 ATL.
Game 4- Benson v Millwood.... a close game but Pitt gets the 3-2 lead going into the 7th and adds another run. The Pitt bullpen takes over for the last 2 1/3 and Lidge will close out a 4-2 win for Pitt. Series tied 2-2
Game 5- Oswalt v Lackey.... Pitt has the better SP going but they can't field a groundball. Errors by Guillen, Vidro and 2 by Oswalt stake the ATL to a 5-3 lead after 3. Lackey gives it back and its 5-5 after 6. Atl will get 2 in the 7th on a Posada 2-out, 2 rbi 2b for a 7-5 lead. Atlanta adds another in the 8th. Rusch is flawless through 2 and Gordon shuts them down in the 8th. Gordon starts the 9th with a 8-5 lead but Pitt will load the bases chasing Gordon and Takatsu can't hold the lead. Pitt scores 3 in the 9th to tie it at 8. Atlanta gets their opportunity in the 9th and Posada and then Mirabelli get on base. DaVanon pinchruns for Posada and they are bunted over to 2b and 3b. Reed Johnson then hits a walkoff single to end the game 9-8 and give Atlanta a 3-2 series lead going back to Pittsburgh.
Game 3 Zito v Harden..... Pirates get 2 in top of 1st but Atl answers with 3. Atlanta batters Zito and everyone else throwing a pitch. Atl gets 4 HR's in a 15-5 win. Durham has 4 rbi. Series is 2-1 ATL.
Game 4- Benson v Millwood.... a close game but Pitt gets the 3-2 lead going into the 7th and adds another run. The Pitt bullpen takes over for the last 2 1/3 and Lidge will close out a 4-2 win for Pitt. Series tied 2-2
Game 5- Oswalt v Lackey.... Pitt has the better SP going but they can't field a groundball. Errors by Guillen, Vidro and 2 by Oswalt stake the ATL to a 5-3 lead after 3. Lackey gives it back and its 5-5 after 6. Atl will get 2 in the 7th on a Posada 2-out, 2 rbi 2b for a 7-5 lead. Atlanta adds another in the 8th. Rusch is flawless through 2 and Gordon shuts them down in the 8th. Gordon starts the 9th with a 8-5 lead but Pitt will load the bases chasing Gordon and Takatsu can't hold the lead. Pitt scores 3 in the 9th to tie it at 8. Atlanta gets their opportunity in the 9th and Posada and then Mirabelli get on base. DaVanon pinchruns for Posada and they are bunted over to 2b and 3b. Reed Johnson then hits a walkoff single to end the game 9-8 and give Atlanta a 3-2 series lead going back to Pittsburgh.
Game 6 was a rematch of Game 2 with Clement vs. Thomson. However it was more like Game 3 because the Braves scored early and often as they pounded the Pirates, 12-4 to move on to the Championship series. Frank Thomas hit a homerun in the 1st, a double to drive home Jeter in the 3rd, and then a 9 run 5th inning put away the Pirates. John Thomson had a no-hitter into the 6th as he won the game.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Braves-Buccos Series Tied at 1-1
| John Thomson improved to 2-0 in the post season as Atlanta beat Pittsburgh 6-3 in Game 2. The Series is now tied at 1-1 and will head to Atlanta for Game 3....... |
Strat-O-Matic Report
BOXSCORE: 2004 Atlanta Braves At 2004 Pittsburgh Pirates 10/2/2004
Braves AB R H RBI AVG Pirates AB R H RBI AVG
J.Davanon RF 5 0 1 3 .286 J.Kendall C 4 0 1 0 .282
D.Jeter SS 3 0 1 0 .316 R.Winn CF 4 0 0 0 .237
C.Jones 3B 4 1 0 0 .143 C.Guillen SS 3 2 2 0 .353
A.Jones CF 4 0 1 0 .257 B.Giles RF 3 1 2 3 .375
J.Posada C 5 1 2 1 .462 B.Broussard 1B 3 0 0 0 .345
R.Palmeiro 1B 3 1 1 0 .308 E.Alfonzo 3B 4 0 3 0 .281
M.Tucker LF 5 1 1 0 .265 R.Freel LF 4 0 1 0 .400
S.Takatsu P 0 0 0 0 ---- L.Rivas 2B 3 0 0 0 .200
R.Durham 2B 2 2 1 1 .375 D-J.Vidro PH 1 0 0 0 .200
J.Thomson P 1 0 0 1 .000 M.Clement P 2 0 0 0 .000
T.Tucker P 0 0 0 0 ---- R.Choate P 0 0 0 0 ----
B-F.Thomas PH 1 0 0 0 .200 A-P.Nevin PH 1 0 0 0 .222
M.Stanton P 0 0 0 0 ---- K.Wood P 0 0 0 0 ----
T.Gordon P 0 0 0 0 ---- E-C.Wilson PH 1 0 0 0 .000
C-R.Johnson LF 0 0 0 0 .250
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 33 6 8 6 Totals 33 3 9 3
A-Pinch Hit For Choate In 7th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Tucker In 8th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Gordon In 9th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Rivas In 9th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Wood In 9th Inning
Braves.......... 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 1 0 - 6 8 1
Pirates......... 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 3 9 1
Braves (5-3) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
J.Thomson WIN(2-0) 5 1/3 8 3 3 0 2 1 3.14
T.Tucker HOLD(1st) 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.24
M.Stanton 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 27.00
T.Gordon HOLD(3rd) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
S.Takatsu SAVE(3rd) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Totals 9 9 3 3 2 4 1
Pirates (5-3) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
M.Clement LOSS(1-1) 6 1/3 6 5 5 7 6 0 6.05
R.Choate 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
K.Wood 2 2 1 1 1 4 0 5.40
Totals 9 8 6 6 8 10 0
ATTENDANCE- 43,263 DATE- Saturday, October 2nd 2004 TIME- Night WEATHER- Average
UMPIRES- Chuck Meriwether, Tim Timmons, Tim Tschida, Greg Gibson
T- 3:12
LEFT ON BASE- Braves:10 Pirates: 7
DOUBLE PLAYS- Braves: 3 Pirates: 0
ERRORS- J.Posada, C.Guillen
DOUBLES- J.Davanon(2nd), C.Guillen(2nd), E.Alfonzo(2nd)
TRIPLES- R.Durham(2nd), B.Giles(1st)
HOME RUNS- B.Giles(4th)
STOLEN BASES- D.Jeter(2nd), R.Durham(1st), C.Guillen(2nd)
CAUGHT STEALING- J.Davanon
SACRIFICE HITS- J.Thomson
WALKS- D.Jeter-2, A.Jones, R.Palmeiro-2, R.Durham-2, J.Thomson, B.Giles,
B.Broussard
HIT BY PITCH- C.Jones, J.Kendall, C.Guillen
STRIKE OUTS- J.Davanon, C.Jones, A.Jones, J.Posada, R.Palmeiro, M.Tucker-2,
R.Durham, J.Thomson, F.Thomas, R.Winn, B.Broussard-2, P.Nevin
GIDP- R.Winn, R.Freel, L.Rivas
WILD PITCHES- K.Wood
Catcher Jorge Posada had 2 base hits as the Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh
Pirates by a score of 6 to 3.
Atlanta had 3 runs cross the plate in the 4th inning when they had 3 base
hits. The crucial at-bat was provided by Jeff Davanon who disappointed the
partisan crowd when he doubled scoring two baserunners. Shingo Takatsu
relieved and was untouched by Pittsburgh as he recorded the save, his 3rd.
The win was credited to John Thomson(2-0) who went 5 and 1/3 innings allowing
3 runs. Matt Clement(1-1) took the loss. He pitched 6 and 1/3 innings giving
up 6 hits and 7 walks.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Durham's Homer in 11th Gives Braves Playoff Series Win
GAME 6:
Braves.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 - 6 12 0
Marlins......... 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 5 14 1
The score was knotted at 5 after nine innings. Atlanta came out on top in the
11th inning. Ray Durham cracked a solo homerun (his 1st of the season).
Mike Lamb struck out, unable to help the rally. One out later, Derek Jeter
stepped in and he lined a one-base hit. Chipper Jones followed and he
stroked a base-hit. Atlanta finished with 12 hits in the victory.
The winning pitcher was Glendon Rusch(1-0) who allowed no runs in 2 innings.
Rusch got help from Shingo Takatsu who earned his 2nd save. Rheal
Cormier(1-1) was tagged with the loss in relief.
The Braves advance to the Semi-Finals and will meet the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
2005 Draft Lottery Info
We will be conducting our draft lottery on Wednesday, March 18th and Thursday, March 19th.....
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.
2005 Lottery Drawing Chances:
000 to 249 – Seattle (47-115)
250 to 449 – Chicago (61-101, 4-2 vs. Cleveland in tie-breaker)
450 to 604 – Cleveland (61-101)
605 to 724 – Kansas City (65-97)
725 to 814 – New York (68-94)
815 to 879 – Montreal (76-86)
880 to 924 – Toronto (78-84)
925 to 954 – Oakland (79-83)
955 to 974 – Boston (80-82)
975 to 986 – Anaheim (81-81, 5-1 vs. Los Angeles in tie-breaker)
987 to 994 – Los Angeles (81-81)
995 to 999 – San Francisco (90-72)
(Click here for a history of previous lottery numbers selected.)
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.
2005 Lottery Drawing Chances:
000 to 249 – Seattle (47-115)
250 to 449 – Chicago (61-101, 4-2 vs. Cleveland in tie-breaker)
450 to 604 – Cleveland (61-101)
605 to 724 – Kansas City (65-97)
725 to 814 – New York (68-94)
815 to 879 – Montreal (76-86)
880 to 924 – Toronto (78-84)
925 to 954 – Oakland (79-83)
955 to 974 – Boston (80-82)
975 to 986 – Anaheim (81-81, 5-1 vs. Los Angeles in tie-breaker)
987 to 994 – Los Angeles (81-81)
995 to 999 – San Francisco (90-72)
(Click here for a history of previous lottery numbers selected.)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Pirates Send Phillies Packing
The old adage good pitching beats good hitting played out in Pittsburgh's first round victory over Philadelphia. Pirate pitchers held the heart of Philadelphias lineup to a .192 average in beating the Phillies 4 games to 2. Once more, Philadelphia exited in the first round of the playoffs. With the Pirates leading the series 2 - 0, the series switched to Pittsburgh. Philadelphia looked as if it might make a run, as they took games 3 and 5. However, Pittsburgh showed its tenacity in holding off the Phillies in game 6, winning 11-10 in 14 innings.
Game 3 - Philadelphia 5 Pittsburgh 2. Phils chip away at Zito, and Aaron Rowand has 4 hits. Two unearned runs in the top of the 9th add some comfort to a very close game.
Game 4 - Pittsburgh 11 Philadelphia 1. Pirates blow it wide open with 5 runs in the 8th against overmatched Dave Burba. Ben Broussard has 2 homeruns and 7 RBIs in a one man show.
Game 5 - Philadelphia 6 Pittsburgh 2. In an amazingly sloppy game, in which only 2 of the 9 runs were earned, Philadelphia staved off elimination. Kirk Reuter was the winner, going 5 innings.
Game 6 - Pittsburgh 11 Philadelphia 10 (14). Pittsburgh fought off a resilient Philadelphia team with 4 runs in the top of the 14th. Several times in the game, it appeared the Pirates had the Phils on the rope, and each time the Phillies battled back. Pittsburgh got to Brad Penny with 3 runs in the top of the 4th. However, Philly countered with 4 in the bottom. The score stayed knotted until the 9th when Pittsburgh battered the season long stalwart of the Philadelphia bullpen Jason Frasor, scoring the tieing run. Both teams went down fairly quietly until the top of the 11th when Pittsburgh scored 3 runs. Amazingly enough, Jim Thome hit a 3 run shot in the bottom of the 11th, tieing it once again. Neither team scored again until the wild 14th. Pittsburgh scored 4 in the top of the 14th, to take a seemingly secure lead. However, as the Pirate bullpen tired, the Phillies started back again. They scored 3 runs, and with two on, no outs, once again the game was in the hands of the toughest part of the Phils order - Pujols and Thome. However, in an eerie repeat of game 2, Pujols struck out. Thome struck out. Clutch hitting Sol Taguchi, one of the few bright spots in the playoffs ended the game, and Phillies hopes for a game 7. At least he didn't strike out.
Philly Phans Phume!
Philly fans took to the streets, incensed their team once again, exited the playoffs in the first round after a successful season. Said one fan - "It is a given the Phillies will be in the playoffs - but this is ANOTHER [expletive] choke. What do we we pay these guys for?" Another put the blame soley on the shoulders of manager Rick Cornell. "Fassero? @#$%ing Fassero? My son's Little League coach could have done just as good of a job as Cornell!" When pressed for comments Phillies manager Cornell stated - "All I can do is put guys on the field that I believe give us the best chance of winning. I can't hit the ball, throw the ball or catch the ball for them. It was a tough loss.
Pittsburgh showed a weakness against lefties. Hindsight is 20/20." Pitcher Jeff Fassero, the easy target of blame for yet another Philly failure simply said "I gave it my best. Obviously it wasn't enough. I don't know..." his voice trailing off as he headed for the showers..
The 2004 Phillies boasted one of their strongest lineups this year, but it was that very heart of the lineup that failed them. Eric Chavez, Mark Loretta, Torii Hunter, Miguel Tejada and superstar Albert Pujols were held to a measely .192 average in the six game set (24-125). Pujols a subject of an earlier article publicizing his drive for a pennant was woeful - hitting .208 with just one double. Hunter (.120) and Tejada (.154) were deplorable. Staff ace Brad Penny could not go more than 4 innings without giving up a slew of runs.
As fans nearly rioted, Philly ownership is left looking confused and incompetent. Only Aaron Rowand could hold his head up high, as he played flawless defense and hit .400 in the series. (10-25). However as one can expect, Rowand stated "Yeah, I guess that's nice, but I would gladly give up everyone of those hits if we could have just won the series."Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Braves - Marlins Series
At last report, Atlanta leads the series over Florida 3 games to 2. . . .Game 6 returns to Florida at Fenway Park. . . .
Arizona's Championship Run Ends
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ six straight playoff series wins and two straight league championships came to an end last Sunday Night in PNC Park. St. Louis knocked off #1 seed Arizona in six games. This was a rematch of the 2003 World Series in which Arizona swept the Redbirds. This is the third straight year that the #1 seed has fallen to the #8 seed (Anaheim over Philly in 2003 and Boston beat Atlanta in 2002). Complete box scores are available by this link. A recap of the series:Game #1 AZ 10, STL 6 - The Cards put up a four spot in the first inning off Randy Johnson, but Jake Westbrook could not hold the lead as he gave up seven runs in 4+ innings. After the 1st inning, the Big Unit pitched scoreless ball all the way into the 9th as he struck out 11 along the way… AJ Pierzynski hit two homers for the D-Backs
Game #2 STL 4, AZ 3 - Curt Schilling vs. Dontrelle Willis…..With the Cards clinging to a 4-3 lead, embattled reliever Armando Benitez was brought in to close out the ninth. Benitez got the first two outs but then gave up a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. However, Armando got the final out to preserve the win in a tense finish. Cards felt fortunate to gain a 1-1 split vs. Johnson and Schilling…..off to St. Louis for game 3…..
Game #3 STL 13, AZ 4 - Redbirds scored nine runs off Al Leiter in 3+ innings. A pivotal moment was when pitcher Woody Willams hit a two-out bases loaded single in the 2nd that scored the first two runs of the game. Melvin Mora drove in three more runs (7 RBI’s in 3 games) and is now hitting .583 in the series.
Game #4 STL 1, AZ 0 - In the most exciting game of the series, Randy Johnson and Jake Westbrook put up goose eggs over the first eight innings. St. Louis pinch hit for Westbrook in the bottom of the eighth and then brought in Benitez who pitched a scoreless ninth. The D-Backs pinch hit for Randy Johnson in the ninth and brought in Scott Shields for the bottom of the inning. Shields gave up a hit and a walk and was relieved by Gagne. With runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs, Konerko bunted the ball and beat out the play at first to load the bases. Now with the Bank One Ballpark rocking, Gage walked Edmonds to force in the winning run.
Game #5 AZ 3, STL 2 - Curt Schilling turned in a gutty performance as he went all the way in a 3-2 D-Back win. Schilling allowed just four hits and struck out nine. Arizona scored the winning run on a two-out bases load error by Renteria in the top of the eighth innning. Schilling made the run stand up as manager Mark Childs stayed with Schilling in the 9th rather than bringing in his closer. Series goes back to Arizona for game 6.
Game #6 STL 9, AZ 5 - The Cardinals jumped on Brian Lawrence (the star of the 2003 post season) with nine hits and six runs to take a 6-4 lead. Two key moments occurred in the 8th…..With no out and a runner on, Paul Konerko attempted (another) bunt and got two strikes on him. The bunt sign was then taken off and Konerko connected on the next pitch for a 2-run homer to make it 8-4. In the bottom of the 8th, the D-Backs had the bases loaded with two out and run already in. Bruce Chen, making his first appearance in the series, got David Newhan to end the threat. Armando Benitez pitched another scoreless inning to finish up the series.
The bullpen was the story – St. Louis had a 2.25 ERA while Arizona’s bullpen was 6.55 ERA. . . . St. Louis now advances to meet Houston in the semi-Finals…..
Astros Defeat Twins in Six Games
The Houston Astros won their first playoff series by eliminating the Minnesota Twins in six games. Complete box scores are available by this link. A recap of the series:Game 1 (8-7 Hou.): Down 6-2 in 6th, John Mabry hits grand slam off Santana and Triples in GW in 8th.
Game 2 (8-4 Minn.): Twins score 3 in 8th and 3 in 9th. Alex Cora homers and knocks in 4.
Game 3 (9-7 Hou.): Mabry 2 RBI, Todd Walker and Berkman hit homers. Matsui and Lee knock in 2 for Minn.
Game 4 (12-0 Hou.): Tom Glavine magnificent in tossing 2-hit shutout. Kotsay 4 RBI, Burroughs 4 hits.
Game 5 (8-7 Minn.): Jose Hernandez PH HR ties game in 9th, Graffanino wins it w/ 2-out, 2-run walk-off 1B in 13th.
Game 6 (7-5 Hou.): Russ Adams 2-out, 2-run PH 1B in 7th puts Astros ahead and Wagner closes out series w/ his 2nd save.
For Hou:
Series MVP John Mabry - HR, 7 RBI, .333 in just 12 AB's
Moises Alou - 2 HR's, 7 RBI, .482 in just 13 AB's
Shane Burroughs - .600 (12-20)
For Minny:
Hideki Matsui - 3 HR's, 5 RBI, .391
Jose Hernandez - 2 HR's, 3 RBI, .400
David Ortiz - just 1 HR 4 RBI, .238
Monday, March 09, 2009
Pittsburg Puts Philly in an Early 2-0 Hole
The Pittsburgh Pirates pitching gave the Phillies very little to work with over the course of their two game sweep in Philadelphia Sunday night 5-3 and 7-6.
In the first game Roy Oswalt held the Phils to just 3 hits over 7 innings and road a 4 run second inning to the win. Giles and Nevin connected for home runs, while Tejada had a solo shot for the Phils. Philadelphia had come within 1 on Tejada's solo shot in the 7th, but Nevin countered in the top of the 8th with a blast off of Lance Carter. Philly threatened in the bottom of the 9th getting two on, but was unable to score as Lidge recorded the save.
The second game saw the Phillies come out fast, scoring 4 runs in the second inning. Brad Penny seemed to be on the way to getting the Phils even up in the series when disaster struck in the 4th. The Pirates narrowed the gap to 2 with a couple early runs, but then Ben Broussard hit a 3 run shot to wipe out the deficit and give the Bucs the lead 5-4. Stunned, Penny was pulled after 3 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh scored what turned out to be the winning runs in the top of the 9th, making the score 7-4. However, Philadelphia managed to answer with two of their own to make it 7-6. With two outs, two on, the heart of the Phils order was due up - Pujols and Thome. Pujols drew a walk to load the bases. Thome then watched a called third strike.
As has been the case in the past as its star Pujols goes, so go the Phillies. Pujols has been held to two meaningless singles in the first game and is but 2 for 9 thus far. Philadelphia has hit just .185 over the first two games. Pittsburgh's Brian Giles has led his team with a .500 average (4-8) with two doubles and two homeruns.
The series moves to Pittsburgh, resuming Wednesday evening.
In the first game Roy Oswalt held the Phils to just 3 hits over 7 innings and road a 4 run second inning to the win. Giles and Nevin connected for home runs, while Tejada had a solo shot for the Phils. Philadelphia had come within 1 on Tejada's solo shot in the 7th, but Nevin countered in the top of the 8th with a blast off of Lance Carter. Philly threatened in the bottom of the 9th getting two on, but was unable to score as Lidge recorded the save.
The second game saw the Phillies come out fast, scoring 4 runs in the second inning. Brad Penny seemed to be on the way to getting the Phils even up in the series when disaster struck in the 4th. The Pirates narrowed the gap to 2 with a couple early runs, but then Ben Broussard hit a 3 run shot to wipe out the deficit and give the Bucs the lead 5-4. Stunned, Penny was pulled after 3 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh scored what turned out to be the winning runs in the top of the 9th, making the score 7-4. However, Philadelphia managed to answer with two of their own to make it 7-6. With two outs, two on, the heart of the Phils order was due up - Pujols and Thome. Pujols drew a walk to load the bases. Thome then watched a called third strike.
As has been the case in the past as its star Pujols goes, so go the Phillies. Pujols has been held to two meaningless singles in the first game and is but 2 for 9 thus far. Philadelphia has hit just .185 over the first two games. Pittsburgh's Brian Giles has led his team with a .500 average (4-8) with two doubles and two homeruns.
The series moves to Pittsburgh, resuming Wednesday evening.
Friday, February 20, 2009
2004 Playoff Preview
Continuing a tradition.........my humble predictions........
#1 Arizona vs. #8 St. Louis (season series: Arizona 5-1) –
The Diamondbacks beat the Cardinals in the 2003 World Series four games to none. Ironically, these teams meet again to open up the playoffs this year. Arizona and St. Louis are remarkably different - Arizona was #1 in team ERA and #13 in Runs Scored; St. Louis finished #17 in team ERA and #1 in Runs Scored. Should be an interesting series. . . .
Arizona had two 20 game winners this season - Randy Johnson (23-5 1.92 ERA and Curt Schilling 21-11 2.95 ERA). Pitching is vital in the playoffs and the Diamondbacks are ready to make another run at a championship with these two horses. The D-Backs finished a torrid 34-11 the final two months of the season. Arizona made a late season trade acquiring Eric Gagne, Al Leiter, Lew Ford and Jermaine Dye - all four players made significant contributions down the stretch for Arizona. Centerfielder Steve Finley (.273 31 HR's 113 RBI's) played steady all season. Arizona has been the most successful team in the Millennium League holding a whopping 41-18 record in the post season. In fact, the D-Backs are an amazing 10-1 in overall playoff series.
It took a final regular season game loss by San Francisco to Seattle that allowed St. Louis to sneak into the playoffs. This was supposed to be St. Louis' strongest season but it never panned out, largely due to inconsistent pitching. Cardinal GM-manager John Helmbrecht acquired Armando Benitez (2.98 2-5 20 Saves) during the season that had mixed results. Benitez recorded 20 saves, yet coughed up several walk off homers in devasting losses. Besides Jake Westbrook (16-12) and Dontrelle Willis (11-8), pitching is thin. But, this team was built on offense and the Redbirds have much to offer: JD Drew (.312 41 HR's, 101 RBI's, 132 Runs), Jim Edmonds (.298 47 HR's 136 RBIS's), Melvin Mora (.304 24 HR's 95 RBI's), Jeremy Burnitz (33HR's 105 RBI's), and Paul Konerko (44 HR's 122 RBI's). Oh, and by the way, Edgar Renteria and Placido Polanco combined to hit 31 HR's and 125 RBI's between them. The Cards have been involved in six playoff series - five of them ended in sweeps. St. Louis is 12-13 overall in the postseason. Prediction: D-Backs "Dynamic Duo" will shut down Redbird offense ARIZONA WINS IN 5 GAMES
#2 Florida vs. #7 Atlanta (season series tied 3-3) –
The Marlins finished strong the second half of the season going 53-26 since July 1st. Jake Peavy is the ace of the staff finishing 17-5 with a 3.19 ERA. Jon Garland was the only other pitcher in double digit wins with a 15-10 mark. Juan Rincon anchors a deep bullpen with a 2.64 ERA and 22 Saves. Vlad Guerrero, acquired in a 2003 trade with Philly, posted big numbers: .342 42 HR's 133 RBI's. Six other Marlins hit 20+ homers: Lowell (36), D. Lee (30), Dunn (28), A.Gonzalez (25), Baldelli (21), V. Martinez (20). Florida is 1-4 in the post season - losing to champs Arizona last season in their only post season appearance.
Atlanta is making their first playoff appearance since 2002 when the Braves finished with 103 wins. The Braves are just 9-10 in the post season, despite being the #1 seed in both 2000 and 2002. Atlanta is hoping for better results out of the #7 seed this year. Atlanta boasts three strong starters: Rich Harden (3.24 13-10), John Lackey (3.88 11-8) and John Thomson (14-5). Harden was the Braves 2003 #1 draft pick and Lackey was the 2002 #1 draft pick. "Mr. Captain" - Derek Jeter led the team in many batting categories: .308, 212 Hits, and 67 doubles. Jeter's doubles total far exceeding 2nd place Pujols who finished with 53. Chipper Jones quietly hit 35 HR's and drove in 96 RBI's. Atlanta sputtered the final two months of the season going just 23-22.
Prediction: Braves starters are strong as Marlins are upset ATLANTA WINS IN 7 GAMES
#3 Philadelphia vs. #6 Pittsburgh (season series tied 3-3) –
Philly finished 32-16 the final two months to win the division. Despite three division crowns, the Phillies are still looking for that elusive championship as they have just a 15-15 mark in the post season. The Phillies have steadily improved their pitching staff and now have some quality arms: Greg Maddux (3.86 15-6), Freddy Garcia (4.22 16-9), Brad Penny (4.27 8-6) and Javier Vazquez (11-10). Unsung Jason Frasor had 24 saves and a sub 2.00 ERA. The Phils always have hitting and were led this season by Mr. Pujols (.342 56 HR's 154 RBI's), Mark Loretta (.336), Miguel Tajada (38 HR's 130 RBI's) , Eric Chavez (29 HR's) and Tori Hunter (27 HR's).
The Pirates are the coldest team coming into the playoffs as the Buccos went 12-16 in August and 8-9 in September. Pittsburgh has just a 7-6 post season record as they only qualified in 2002. Brad Lidge was the Pirates #1 draft pick and he saved 34 games this year despite a high ERA (4.59). Pittsburgh has notable starters: Roy Oswalt (17-11), Kris Benson (3.86 13-9), Matt Clement (18-9) and Kerry Wood (8-1). Carlos Guillen (.344) and Randy Winn (.325 109 Runs) led the hitting.
Prediction: Phillies hitting and pitching too strong PHILADELPHIA WINS IN 6 GAMES
#4 Houston vs. #5 Minnesota (season series tied 3-3) -
Houston is another red-hot team entering the playoffs going 34-15 the final two months. The Astros can certainly put up some runs as they finished second in runs scored to the Cards. The Astros offense revolves around Lance Berkman (.305 32 HR's 108 RBI's). Lance finished second in the league in walks (128) to Barry Bonds. Moises Alou (26 HR's) and Mike Sweeney (24 HR's) added some long ball power. The 'Stros had five starters with double digit wins: Jeff Weaver (15), Tom Glavine (14), Jaret Wright (13), Jason Jonson (12) and Rodrigo Lopez (12). Billy Wagner tied for the league lead in saves (35). Houston has never won a playoff series going 5-12 in the post season.
The Twins were a remarkable story in 2004 and certainly look to be a team to be reckoned with in the future. Minnesota has a strong nucleus of good players: Ichiro (.367 116 Runs), David Ortiz (.335 53 HR's 128 RBI's), Hideki Matsui (.316 36 HR's), Johan Santana (2.80 17-8), Roy Halladay (8-4) and Josh Beckett (9-9). The Twins have never been in the post season before..
Prediction: Looks to be a real even series.... I'll go with MINNESOTA TO WIN IN 7 GAMES
#1 Arizona vs. #8 St. Louis (season series: Arizona 5-1) –
The Diamondbacks beat the Cardinals in the 2003 World Series four games to none. Ironically, these teams meet again to open up the playoffs this year. Arizona and St. Louis are remarkably different - Arizona was #1 in team ERA and #13 in Runs Scored; St. Louis finished #17 in team ERA and #1 in Runs Scored. Should be an interesting series. . . .
Arizona had two 20 game winners this season - Randy Johnson (23-5 1.92 ERA and Curt Schilling 21-11 2.95 ERA). Pitching is vital in the playoffs and the Diamondbacks are ready to make another run at a championship with these two horses. The D-Backs finished a torrid 34-11 the final two months of the season. Arizona made a late season trade acquiring Eric Gagne, Al Leiter, Lew Ford and Jermaine Dye - all four players made significant contributions down the stretch for Arizona. Centerfielder Steve Finley (.273 31 HR's 113 RBI's) played steady all season. Arizona has been the most successful team in the Millennium League holding a whopping 41-18 record in the post season. In fact, the D-Backs are an amazing 10-1 in overall playoff series.
It took a final regular season game loss by San Francisco to Seattle that allowed St. Louis to sneak into the playoffs. This was supposed to be St. Louis' strongest season but it never panned out, largely due to inconsistent pitching. Cardinal GM-manager John Helmbrecht acquired Armando Benitez (2.98 2-5 20 Saves) during the season that had mixed results. Benitez recorded 20 saves, yet coughed up several walk off homers in devasting losses. Besides Jake Westbrook (16-12) and Dontrelle Willis (11-8), pitching is thin. But, this team was built on offense and the Redbirds have much to offer: JD Drew (.312 41 HR's, 101 RBI's, 132 Runs), Jim Edmonds (.298 47 HR's 136 RBIS's), Melvin Mora (.304 24 HR's 95 RBI's), Jeremy Burnitz (33HR's 105 RBI's), and Paul Konerko (44 HR's 122 RBI's). Oh, and by the way, Edgar Renteria and Placido Polanco combined to hit 31 HR's and 125 RBI's between them. The Cards have been involved in six playoff series - five of them ended in sweeps. St. Louis is 12-13 overall in the postseason. Prediction: D-Backs "Dynamic Duo" will shut down Redbird offense ARIZONA WINS IN 5 GAMES
#2 Florida vs. #7 Atlanta (season series tied 3-3) –
The Marlins finished strong the second half of the season going 53-26 since July 1st. Jake Peavy is the ace of the staff finishing 17-5 with a 3.19 ERA. Jon Garland was the only other pitcher in double digit wins with a 15-10 mark. Juan Rincon anchors a deep bullpen with a 2.64 ERA and 22 Saves. Vlad Guerrero, acquired in a 2003 trade with Philly, posted big numbers: .342 42 HR's 133 RBI's. Six other Marlins hit 20+ homers: Lowell (36), D. Lee (30), Dunn (28), A.Gonzalez (25), Baldelli (21), V. Martinez (20). Florida is 1-4 in the post season - losing to champs Arizona last season in their only post season appearance.
Atlanta is making their first playoff appearance since 2002 when the Braves finished with 103 wins. The Braves are just 9-10 in the post season, despite being the #1 seed in both 2000 and 2002. Atlanta is hoping for better results out of the #7 seed this year. Atlanta boasts three strong starters: Rich Harden (3.24 13-10), John Lackey (3.88 11-8) and John Thomson (14-5). Harden was the Braves 2003 #1 draft pick and Lackey was the 2002 #1 draft pick. "Mr. Captain" - Derek Jeter led the team in many batting categories: .308, 212 Hits, and 67 doubles. Jeter's doubles total far exceeding 2nd place Pujols who finished with 53. Chipper Jones quietly hit 35 HR's and drove in 96 RBI's. Atlanta sputtered the final two months of the season going just 23-22.
Prediction: Braves starters are strong as Marlins are upset ATLANTA WINS IN 7 GAMES
#3 Philadelphia vs. #6 Pittsburgh (season series tied 3-3) –
Philly finished 32-16 the final two months to win the division. Despite three division crowns, the Phillies are still looking for that elusive championship as they have just a 15-15 mark in the post season. The Phillies have steadily improved their pitching staff and now have some quality arms: Greg Maddux (3.86 15-6), Freddy Garcia (4.22 16-9), Brad Penny (4.27 8-6) and Javier Vazquez (11-10). Unsung Jason Frasor had 24 saves and a sub 2.00 ERA. The Phils always have hitting and were led this season by Mr. Pujols (.342 56 HR's 154 RBI's), Mark Loretta (.336), Miguel Tajada (38 HR's 130 RBI's) , Eric Chavez (29 HR's) and Tori Hunter (27 HR's).
The Pirates are the coldest team coming into the playoffs as the Buccos went 12-16 in August and 8-9 in September. Pittsburgh has just a 7-6 post season record as they only qualified in 2002. Brad Lidge was the Pirates #1 draft pick and he saved 34 games this year despite a high ERA (4.59). Pittsburgh has notable starters: Roy Oswalt (17-11), Kris Benson (3.86 13-9), Matt Clement (18-9) and Kerry Wood (8-1). Carlos Guillen (.344) and Randy Winn (.325 109 Runs) led the hitting.
Prediction: Phillies hitting and pitching too strong PHILADELPHIA WINS IN 6 GAMES
#4 Houston vs. #5 Minnesota (season series tied 3-3) -
Houston is another red-hot team entering the playoffs going 34-15 the final two months. The Astros can certainly put up some runs as they finished second in runs scored to the Cards. The Astros offense revolves around Lance Berkman (.305 32 HR's 108 RBI's). Lance finished second in the league in walks (128) to Barry Bonds. Moises Alou (26 HR's) and Mike Sweeney (24 HR's) added some long ball power. The 'Stros had five starters with double digit wins: Jeff Weaver (15), Tom Glavine (14), Jaret Wright (13), Jason Jonson (12) and Rodrigo Lopez (12). Billy Wagner tied for the league lead in saves (35). Houston has never won a playoff series going 5-12 in the post season.
The Twins were a remarkable story in 2004 and certainly look to be a team to be reckoned with in the future. Minnesota has a strong nucleus of good players: Ichiro (.367 116 Runs), David Ortiz (.335 53 HR's 128 RBI's), Hideki Matsui (.316 36 HR's), Johan Santana (2.80 17-8), Roy Halladay (8-4) and Josh Beckett (9-9). The Twins have never been in the post season before..
Prediction: Looks to be a real even series.... I'll go with MINNESOTA TO WIN IN 7 GAMES
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Pujols Looking For Championship Ring
Philadelphia (AP) - Albert Pujols led many hitting categories last year: Batting Average(.387), Hits (252), Doubles (67), and Slugging Pct (.754). Albert continued his batting assault this year as he led the league runs scored (141), Homers (56) and RBI's (154).
However, Pujols wants a championship. Last season, Pujols hit .387 in the Phils' Quarter-Final playoffs vs. Anaheim in a losing effort (Anaheim upset Philadelphia 4 games to 3). Pujols hit just .233 in the 2002 post season as Philly was knocked out by Arizona in the Semi-Finals.
This season, Phils skipper Rick Cornell has the Phils running on all cyclinders as they overtook Minnesota and St. Louis the final month of the season. And Pujols is ready to lead his team into the playoffs. Will this be the season?
Braves Most Improved Team in 2004
The Atlanta Braves were the most improved team in the Millennium League this past season. In the 2003 season, the Braves finished a distant fourth (72-90) in the Killebrew Division. But, Atlanta finished the 2004 season with 92 wins - an improvement of 20 wins. Here is the list of all the teams and how they compared vs. the 2003 season:
Net Change in Wins vs. Previous Season:
+ 20 Atlanta
+ 14 Chicago
+ 13 Houston
+ 13 Minnesota
+ 11 Arizona
+ 8 Kansas City
+ 8 Pittsburgh
+ 2 Florida
+ 1 Boston
+ 1 Los Angeles
EVEN Oakland
EVEN San Francisco
EVEN Toronto
- 3 Anaheim
- 3 Montreal
- 6 St. Louis
- 8 Philadelphia
- 14 New York
- 22 Seattle
- 35 Cleveland
Net Change in Wins vs. Previous Season:
+ 20 Atlanta
+ 14 Chicago
+ 13 Houston
+ 13 Minnesota
+ 11 Arizona
+ 8 Kansas City
+ 8 Pittsburgh
+ 2 Florida
+ 1 Boston
+ 1 Los Angeles
EVEN Oakland
EVEN San Francisco
EVEN Toronto
- 3 Anaheim
- 3 Montreal
- 6 St. Louis
- 8 Philadelphia
- 14 New York
- 22 Seattle
- 35 Cleveland
Monday, February 16, 2009
Big Unit Leads League Hurlers
There is no doubt about it - Randy Johnson is back. After struggling through an injury plagued 8-7 mark last season, Arizona's "Big Unit" returned back to his dominating self this season. Johnson compiled gaudy stats this season: 23-5, 1.92 ERA, 5 shutouts and 323 strikeouts - leading the league in all of these categories. Randy is fast closing in on being the first pitcher in the Millennium League with 100 wins. After his third 23 game win season this year, he now has 98 career wins. He is expected to get the call in game one of the upcoming quarter-final playoffs vs. the Cardinals. . . . .
Sunday, February 15, 2009
2004 Playoff Teams
Seedings have been determined for the 2004 playoffs:
1. Arizona (98-64) Division Winner
2. Florida (97-65) Division Winner
3. Philadelphia (95-67, wins tied at 3, outscored Houston 37-35) Division Winner
4. Houston (95-67) Division Winner
5. Minnesota (93-69)
6. Pittsburgh (92-70, wins tied at 3, outscored Atlanta 37-29)
7. Atlanta (92-70)
8. St. Louis (91-71)
Playoff Bracket can be viewed at: http://home.comcast.net/~helmbrej/msl/2004playoffs.htm
1. Arizona (98-64) Division Winner
2. Florida (97-65) Division Winner
3. Philadelphia (95-67, wins tied at 3, outscored Houston 37-35) Division Winner
4. Houston (95-67) Division Winner
5. Minnesota (93-69)
6. Pittsburgh (92-70, wins tied at 3, outscored Atlanta 37-29)
7. Atlanta (92-70)
8. St. Louis (91-71)
Playoff Bracket can be viewed at: http://home.comcast.net/~helmbrej/msl/2004playoffs.htm
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Ichiro Wins Batting Crown
Minnesota (AP) - Ichiro Suzuki has won the 2004 Millennium League Batting Crown. Playing for the Twins, Ichiro hit .367 which placed third all-time in Millennium League history (Pujols hit .387 in 2003 and Bonds hit .368 in 2002). Ichiro broke the single season mark for hits with 264 - previously this was held by Albert Pujols with 252 in the 2002 campaign. Suzuki was the second player taken in the 2001 draft. He looks forward to making his first post season appearance in the upcoming playoffs.Thursday, February 12, 2009
Playoff Teams Set
Barring player usage playoff penalties, post season qualifiers are now set: Division Winners: Florida, Houston, Arizona and Philadelphia. Wild Card Teams: Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and St. Louis.
Playoff seedings will be announced shortly. . . . .
Playoff seedings will be announced shortly. . . . .
Phils Outlast Twins and Cards For Division Crown
The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the Aaron Division with a final record of 95-67. Two games back was Minnesota at 93-69 and St. Louis finished four games behind at 91-71. All three teams have qualified for the playoffs.This was probably the closest and best three team division race in recent memory. The Phils wrapped up the crown by going 12-5 in September while Minnesota and St. Louis both logged 9-8 marks in September games.
The pennant race ebbed and flowed all season with each of the teams spending time in first place. Just like last year, St. Louis started out of the gate fast which included a blistering 23-8 May before giving the lead up in June as they posted a dismal 9-18 record. The Twins actually held the lead for a good portion of the summer months before losing out to the Phils in the final two weeks of the season. Interestingly, the Twins had a commanding 14-4 head-to-head record vs. the Phils this season.
Congrats to all three teams for an exciting finish!
Lowly Mariners Knock Giants Out of the Playoffs
| Seattle scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth in the last game of the season to knock San Francisco out of the playoffs. With the loss, the Giants finished one game behind St. Louis for the 8th and final playoff spot. |
Strat-O-Matic Report
BOXSCORE: 2004 San Francisco Giants At 2004 Seattle Mariners 9/17/2004
Giants AB R H RBI AVG Mariners AB R H RBI AVG
J.Pierre CF 4 1 1 0 .353 M.Ensberg 3B 4 1 1 0 .277
E.Hinske 3B 5 1 1 2 .245 D-D.Roberts PR 0 1 0 0 .290
B.Bonds DH 3 0 2 0 .347 J.Olerud 1B 4 0 0 0 .295
J.Michaels RF 5 0 1 0 .251 A.Rodriguez SS 2 2 1 1 .260
J.Snow 1B 2 1 1 0 .335 R.White LF 5 1 2 1 .279
J.Kent 2B 5 1 1 0 .252 S.Hillenbrand DH 5 0 1 1 .264
J.Lugo SS 5 0 3 2 .265 G.Williams RF 4 2 2 2 .355
A.Melhuse C 4 1 2 1 .315 F.Lopez 2B 2 0 0 0 .247
C.Crisp LF 5 1 1 1 .294 A-T.Wigginton PH,2B 2 0 1 0 .225
D.Wilson C 2 0 0 0 .201
B-R.Sanders PH 0 0 0 0 .291
C-B.Ausmus C 1 0 1 1 .233
M.Cameron CF 4 0 2 1 .196
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 38 6 13 6 Totals 35 7 11 7
A-Pinch Hit For Lopez In 7th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Wilson In 7th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Sanders In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Ran For Ensberg In 9th Inning
Giants.......... 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 - 6 13 0
Mariners........ 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 2 - 7 11 0
Giants (90-72) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
R.Villone 6 3 1 1 3 1 0 3.21
S.Williamson HOLD(3rd) 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 7.27
F.Rodriguez 0 2/3 4 3 3 0 0 1 3.86
T.Worrell L(4-5) BS(5th) 1 3 2 2 2 1 0 3.92
Totals 8 2/3 11 7 7 7 3 1
Mariners (45-108) IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
C.Lidle 6 2/3 9 3 3 4 4 1 6.44
D.Miceli 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 3.74
C.Eldred WIN(4-4) 1 1/3 3 1 1 1 2 1 4.95
Totals 9 13 6 6 6 7 3
ATTENDANCE- 10,123 DATE- Tuesday, September 17th 2004 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average
UMPIRES- Chris Guccione, Rich Rieker, Paul Emmel, Gerry Davis
T- 3:46
LEFT ON BASE- Giants:12 Mariners: 8
DOUBLE PLAYS- Giants: 2 Mariners: 2
DOUBLES- J.Pierre(30th), B.Bonds(28th), J.Kent(28th), J.Lugo(46th),
G.Williams(9th)
HOME RUNS- E.Hinske(16th), A.Melhuse(10th), C.Crisp(11th), A.Rodriguez(35th)
STOLEN BASES- D.Roberts(35th), R.White(3rd)
WALKS- J.Pierre, B.Bonds-2, J.Snow-2, A.Melhuse, M.Ensberg, J.Olerud,
A.Rodriguez-3, G.Williams, R.Sanders
HIT BY PITCH- J.Snow
STRIKE OUTS- E.Hinske, J.Michaels-2, J.Snow, J.Lugo, C.Crisp-2, M.Ensberg,
J.Olerud, R.White
GIDP- J.Kent-2, M.Ensberg, S.Hillenbrand
WILD PITCHES- C.Lidle, C.Eldred
With the hometown crowd on the edge of their seats, Seattle Mariners came from
behind to top San Francisco Giants, 7 to 6.
Seattle came up with the deciding runs in the bottom of the 9th inning with 2
runs using 2 hits. Morgan Ensberg led off and started the rally when he drew
a walk. After an out was recorded, Roberts took off for second and slid in
with a stolen base. Alex Rodriguez then drew a walk. Rondell White was a
strikeout victim, unable to help out. Shea Hillenbrand stepped into the box
and singled bringing in a run. Gerald Williams kept the inning going and
stroked a base-hit giving Seattle the victory as 10,123 happy fans celebrated
wildly. Seattle rapped out 11 hits for the afternoon.
The victory went to Cal Eldred(4-4) who went 1 and 1/3 innings, allowing 1
run. Tim Worrell(4-5) ended up with the loss in relief. John Ferraro was all
smiles after the ballgame, 'It sure was looking pretty dim there for a while,
but our guys never gave up - and neither did our fans - they kept cheering us
on. What a sweet win!'
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Marlins, Astros and D-Backs Clinch Division Titles
From the Commissioners Office: The Florida Marlins, Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks have all clinched their repective divisions. Florida, sporting a
6 1/2 game lead over San Fran with just three games to play will be making their second straight post season appearance. Since July 1st, Florida has had a 51-25 record. The Marlins lost to league champs Arizona in last season's opening playoff round.
Houston put together a 32-13 final two months to overtake Atlanta for the Killebrew divsion crown. The Astros were also in last season's playoffs - losing to St. Louis in the opening round.
Finally, Arizona is back for another run at a championship. The D-Backs seem poised again with their two big guns - Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling to defend their title. Arizona currently has a 96-63 record with a 5 1/2 game lead over the Buccos.
Current Standings:
Florida 95-64
San Fran 90-72 6 1/2 GB
Houston 93-66
Atlanta 92-70 2 1/2 GB
Arizona 96-63
Pittsburgh 92-70 5 1/2 GB
Philly 92-67
Minnesota 93-69 1/2 GB
St. Louis 91-71 2 1/2 GB
6 1/2 game lead over San Fran with just three games to play will be making their second straight post season appearance. Since July 1st, Florida has had a 51-25 record. The Marlins lost to league champs Arizona in last season's opening playoff round.
Houston put together a 32-13 final two months to overtake Atlanta for the Killebrew divsion crown. The Astros were also in last season's playoffs - losing to St. Louis in the opening round.
Finally, Arizona is back for another run at a championship. The D-Backs seem poised again with their two big guns - Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling to defend their title. Arizona currently has a 96-63 record with a 5 1/2 game lead over the Buccos.
Current Standings:
Florida 95-64
San Fran 90-72 6 1/2 GB
Houston 93-66
Atlanta 92-70 2 1/2 GB
Arizona 96-63
Pittsburgh 92-70 5 1/2 GB
Philly 92-67
Minnesota 93-69 1/2 GB
St. Louis 91-71 2 1/2 GB
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Playoff Excitement
9 teams are battling for 8 playoff spots as the MSL season winds down. 4 more teams are on the edge and are mathematically still alive, but must have many variables all go there way.
The ultra competitive Aaron Division has 3 teams within 2 games of each other as Minnesota holds a 1 game lead over St. Louis and a 2 game edge over Philly. Florida and Arizona both have a league-leading 90 wins but must still finish strong to guarantee entry into the post-season.
Houston at 87 wins, Pittsburgh with 86 wins, Atlanta with 84 wins and San Fran with 83 are all weathering the pressure in an attempt to gain entry in the MSL post-season.
Good Luck to all owners and especially to our Commish. Great job as always John.
The ultra competitive Aaron Division has 3 teams within 2 games of each other as Minnesota holds a 1 game lead over St. Louis and a 2 game edge over Philly. Florida and Arizona both have a league-leading 90 wins but must still finish strong to guarantee entry into the post-season.
Houston at 87 wins, Pittsburgh with 86 wins, Atlanta with 84 wins and San Fran with 83 are all weathering the pressure in an attempt to gain entry in the MSL post-season.
Good Luck to all owners and especially to our Commish. Great job as always John.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Smilin' In Minnesota
Minnesota (AP) - It's been all smiles in Minnesota as Mr. Ortiz has been leading the charge with another breakout season. Big Pappi leads the league in homers (39), sixth in RBI's (86) and is seventh in batting average (.337). Last season, Ortiz finished 43-126-.316 and appears ready to exceed those numbers this season.The Twins continue to hold a slight lead over the Cards (2 1/2 GB) and Phillies (3 GB) in what most certainly will be a race that will go down to the final week of the regular season. The Twins have never finished better than fourth in their division, never had a winning season and have never made the playoffs - these gloomy facts will all be erased at the end of this season.
Weaver Fires No-Hitter
Houston's Jeff Weaver fired a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Dodger Stadium last block. Weaver, who is 10-9 with a disappointing 5.53 ERA this season, put it all together for one night. The right-hander faced 29 batters - just two over the minimum as Weaver only walked one while striking out five. The Astros selected Weaver in the fourth round in the 2003 draft after he was released from San Francisco after the 2002 season. Weaver was 35-33 over three seasons for the Giants.This was the ninth no-hitter in Millennium League history. A complete listing of all the no-hitters can be found at the following link: MSL No-Hitters.
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