Opening Day Baseball Season! Woo Hoo! Who's psyched?!

[Mitchell]

Yes, I know that technically the White Sox and Indians played last night, but for most teams, including my Braves, today is opening day. Atlanta starts at 4pm ET. I am psyched! Who's ready? I know I am! Wooo Hoo! Bring it on, baby!

Mitch

[luvgirlsfeet]

I've been looking forward to this since the end of the World Series in 2005

[FlockOfSeagulls]

Let`s Go Rangers!!!

[Goodieluver]

white sox continue the lead

Started the season last year in first, ended the season in first, it begins again!

[milagros317]

All I've got to say is ....

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[Knox The Hatter]

Boy, I guess the Monty Python foot really came down on the Phillies today!

[Mitchell]

Milagros, my good friend, I have one thing to say to you. Braves 11, Dodgers 10! MAAAAAAUH!
(Just kidding. I'm happy the Braves won, obviously, but I know it's only one of 162) It was a good game, and the Braves almost lost, they nearly blew an 8-1 lead, and I was holding my breath in the ninth.

Mitch

[Angel_2]

All I have to say is METS 3 Nats 2 :)

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Metsfan what you take out of the 3-2 win is this: Glavine threw 100 pitches and gave up just one run. Was in complete control. David Wright gets off to the good start with a 2 for 4 day including an opposite field line shot homerun. Xavier Nady was 4 for 4 including 2 doubles and an RBI. Both Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran had outfield assists in this game. Aaron Heilman wasn't great but got the ball to Wagner. Then Billy Wagner did what the Mets got him to do: Save games. At this time last year, Braden Looper help the Mets snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as he blew a 3 run lead and the Reds beat the Mets 7-6. So plenty to be excited about. It wasn't just a 3-2 win. There are lots of questions being answered before they are even asked. That is good news. :cool:

Tom Glavine 1-0 1.50 ERA 6IP 6H 1R 1ER 3BB 5K's 100PT

That is Tom's line which also includes getting 2 hits off of Livan Hernandez and his 276th career win. Mets Win!!! Mets Win!!!

[Mitchell]

Glavine pitched very well. The way he pitched yesterday is like the Glavine of old. I truly believe that if everyone on both teams stays healthy, it will be Mets and Braves down to the wire in September, with one team probably getting the NL East, and the other the wild card. The real difference in these teams are the closers, and the bullpens. I think the Braves have the edge in starting pitching, while the offenses are probably about even, but the Mets have the top notch closer in Wagner, and we have Chris Reitsma, and a bullpen by committee. As he always does, I think Atlanta GM John Scherholtz will make a big move before the trade deadline to get someone to close games for us, if Chris falters. I look forward to Mets vs Braves this year, there should be some very interesting games there.

Mitch

[german]

OK I know little about baseball but does the Yankee win mean much now or is it to early?

Kust

[Warheart]

Yankees destroyed the darlings of the media the Oakland Athletics. The Big Unit mowed em down and A-Rod and Godzilla supplied the firepower. Prepare the World Series trophy cuz its coming back here to the Bronx!!! :dogpile:

[ticklingfeet4fu]

OK I know little about baseball but does the Yankee win mean much now or is it to early?

KustLet me throw this out there german since you asked. Does it mean anything to the Tigers who won 3-1 or the White Sox who won 10-4 or the Red Sox who won 7-3 or the Braves who won 11-10 or the Mets who won 3-2 or the Padres who won 6-1 or the Brewers who won 5-2 or the Rockies who won 3-2 or the Cubs who won 16-7? This is 162 games everyone. Injuries could happen. Or players don't pan out in certain areas. Or slump occur. There are still 161 games to be played by most teams. Settle in. Sit back. Relax. Break open an icy cold Coca-Cola or whatever your favorite beverage might be and enjoy the ride. It's a LONG way until October 1st.

[german]

lol coca-cola, but I see what your saying. Thanks for replying. Also I like to watch baseball but as I said know little; what is a record teams looking for? Like NFL 10-6, 11-5, 12-4 you got a got record and playoff bound what would it be in baseball.

Kust

[Warheart]

No matter who wins its gonna be a fun season so let enjoy it! :)

[Mitchell]

German, most teams in baseball who get to the playoffs, have at least 85 wins. Sometimes, you may get a weak division or wild card winner who finishes 81-81, but most wild cards are 85 to 90 wins, and sometimes more, and most divisions are won with over 90 wins.
Most of the time, unless a team goes wire to wire, first place April to October, or gets a big lead, most divisions arent decided until July, August, or September, and, there have been cases where teams have blown big leads late in the season, like the 1991 Dodgers who blew a 9 1-2 game division lead to my Braves in 1991 after July, or the 1993 Giants, who blew a 10 game lead to the Braves after late July, or the 1969 Cubs, who led the Mets by 9 1-2 games in Mid August, and finished 8 games behind the Mets, losing eighteen games in the standings in six weeks.
It is far too early to determine anything. Sometimes, teams in last place in May, can win the World Series, or get there, as my Braves did when they were dead last in late May, 1992, and played in the World Series that year. 162 games is a longgg time, and, barring a runaway in any of the divisions, it will be three to four months before we really know what will happen.

Mitch

[Angel_2]

Metsfan what you take out of the 3-2 win is this: Glavine threw 100 pitches and gave up just one run. Was in complete control. David Wright gets off to the good start with a 2 for 4 day including an opposite field line shot homerun. Xavier Nady was 4 for 4 including 2 doubles and an RBI. Both Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran had outfield assists in this game. Aaron Heilman wasn't great but got the ball to Wagner. Then Billy Wagner did what the Mets got him to do: Save games. At this time last year, Braden Looper help the Mets snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as he blew a 3 run lead and the Reds beat the Mets 7-6. So plenty to be excited about. It wasn't just a 3-2 win. There are lots of questions being answered before they are even asked. That is good news. :cool:

Tom Glavine 1-0 1.50 ERA 6IP 6H 1R 1ER 3BB 5K's 100PT

That is Tom's line which also includes getting 2 hits off of Livan Hernandez and his 276th career win. Mets Win!!! Mets Win!!!
I agree with this but lets be real as well as Glavine did pitch he walked way too many batters in the game. I think he had 4 or 5 walks thats not good. Overall it was a good game but we need better run support for us to win a lot of ball games. I think it being the first game everyone was nervos but now that its over I think our big boys Beltran, Delgado, Floyd will step up big for the next game.

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Metsfan123 look at the stats Glavine had 3 walks which is quite acceptable.
The NY Yankees fell to 1-1 as A-Rod left a colony of men in scoring postition as the A's beat the Yankees 4-3. Marco Scutaro came through in the clutch as he drove in the game winning run.
White Sox also drop to 1-1 as the Indians scalp them 8-2. Aaron Boone had 4 hits including a homerun to help the Indians get their first win of the season.
The Texas Rangers improve to 1-1 as they beat the Red Sox 10-4.
The Toronto Blue Jays open up their season with a 6-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. Thing I noticed in this game is the visiting Twins honor Kirby Puckett by wearing #34 on their uniform sleeve and the Toronto Blue Jays honor their longtime announcer Tom Cheek who past away last fall from cancer by wearing TC and a microphone next to the TC on their left sleeve. These teams will do this for the entire 2006 season.
The Seattle Mariners got into the win column with a 10-8 victory over their division rivals the LA Angels. Both teams are now 1-1 on the season.
In the National League: The Brewers are now 2-0 as they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5. The Pirates are now 0-2.
The Marlins got their first win of the season as they battered and beat up the Houston Astros 11-2.
The Dodgers got off the deck and improved their record to 1-1 as they beat the Atlanta Braves in the rain 5-4. Jason Repko a name you will hear a lot of was 3 for 3 a walk a double and an RBI. Braves are now 1-1 for the season.
The Giants and Padres were rained out in San Diego last night. They will make that game up on Saurday July 1st at 12:05 PDT as part of a day-night doubleheader. The second game will start at it regular time 7:05 PDT.

[Warheart]

Nice to see Aaron Boone doing well. Who can forget that ALCS homerun in 2003? :cool:

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Nice to see Aaron Boone doing well. Who can forget that ALCS homerun in 2003? :cool:
Probably the same people who can't forget when the New York Yankees made history in 2004. You remember, don't you? One game away from the World Series with 4 games to play and you lost them all. You guys haven't seen the light of day since. :p

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Wrapping up yesterday and last nights games.
In the Junior Curcuit, the Indians handed the World Champs their second straight defeat 4-3 in 11 innings. Jason Michaels went 4 for 5 with a run scored and and RBI. Danny Graves scored the win in relief.
The Tigers are one of only 2 undeated teams left in the AL as they trounced the KC Royals 14-3. :eek: Ivan Rodriguez had a perfect 5 for 5 game with a homerun, 2 doubles and 5 RBI. Young Jeremy Bonderman had a great performance as he went 6 2/3 IP gave up only 1 run on 3 hits. He also struck out 8 as the Tigers go to 2-0 on the season.
The Seattle Mariners beat the Angels 6-4 yesterday evening. Jose Lopez was 3 for with a triple and an RBI and Raul Ibanez chipped in with 2 hits and 2 RBI as the Mariners improve to 2-1 on the season. Orlando Cabrera hit a 2 run shot in a losing effort.
The Orioles took batting practice against the Devil Rays as they remain the only other AL team unbeaten. They clubbed the Rays 16-6. :yowzer: Jay Gibbons went 3 for 3 with 2 doubles, a homer and 4 RBI. Ramon Hernandez went 2 for2 with 3RBI and Brian Roberts was 2 for 6 with 3 RBI. Orioles improve to 2-0 and go for the sweep tonight in Baltimore.
The Twins get to the win column with a convincing 13-4 thrashing of the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto. Torii Hunter hit grand slam homer in amongst his four hits and had 6 RBI. Troy Glaus had 3 for 4 for the Blue Jays with a homerun and 3 RBI. The rubber game gets played tonight.
In a pitcher dual, the Red Sox moved to 2-1 as they beat the Texas Rangers 2-1. Trot Nixon hit a 2 run homerun off of starter and loser Kameron Loe. Loe went 6 2/3 innings and gave up only 6 hits. Josh Beckett picked up the win as he went 7 innings gave up a run on 5 hits. He also had 5 K's on the evening. Texas hosts the undefeated Tigers tonight and the Red Sox have the night off.
The New York Yankees blew a 4-0 lead and fell to the Oakland A's 9-4. The Yankees got a solo homer from Hidecki Matsui and a 3 run shot from Gary Sheffield. But that was not nearly enough as the Yankees infield defense let them down. Errors by Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano contribute to 5 unearned runs. Frank Thomas had a 3 run double and Milton Bradley drove in 3 runs himself in the win effort. Jared Wright was tagged with the loss giving up 4 runs but only 1 of the 4 were earned. Oakland travels to Seattle tonight as the take on the Mariners.

In the National League:
The Reds beat the Cubs 8-6. Rich Aurilia went 2 for 4 with a homerun and 3 RBI. To those who believe in the DH, well Bronson Arroyo a pitcher for the Reds hit a homerun to spark a 3 run rally. Bronson also went 6 2/3 innings gave up 5 runs which 3 were earned and struck out 7. Reds split the 2 games with the Cubs. The Cubs go home and host the Cardinals on Friday and the Reds get set to host the Pirates tonight in Cincinnati.
The Cardinals beat the Phillies in the middle game of a 3 games set 4-3. The Cards are now 2-0 and the Phillies drop to 0-2. Skip Schumaker went 2 for 4 including his 1st career homerun. Albert Pujols hit his 3rd homerun of the season. Jimmy Rollins extended his hitting streak to 38 straight games. Phillies play host to the Cardinals this afternoon at 3:05 as they try to salvage a game in this set.
The New York Mets blew a 4-0 lead and fell to the Nationals in 10 innings 9-5. Brian Bannister in his ML debut pitched well as he went 6 innings gave up 3 runs on 2 hits. He walked 4, struck out 4 and hit 2 batters. One of the 2 hits he gave up was an opposite field blast by Nick Johnson. Billy Wagner blew the save as he gave up a long blast to Ryan Zimmerman and Jose Guillen teed off on Jorge Julio in the 10th inning. The Nationals bullpen pitched 6 innings gave up 1 run on only 3 hits. Tonight these 2 teams square off in the rubber game slated to start at 7:10. Watch the highlight of this game if you can. Anderson Hernandez the Mets rookie second baseman made an unbelievable catch in the 8th inning of this game. The Nationals announcers Bob Carpenter and Tom Paciorek could not stop raving about the catching saying it might be the catch of the year at season's end. It definately is the catch of the week. Mets lose to Washington 9-5 in 10 innings.
The Brewers improve to 3-0 and lead the NL Central by a half game as the swept the Pirates 3-2. Toma Ohka went 7 innings for the Brewers and gave up 5 hits and 1 earned run got the no decision. Zach Duke also pitched well for the Pirates as he went 6 innings and gave up 5 hits and 1 earned run and K'ed 4. Jason Bay went deep for the Pirates in a losing effort. J.J Hardy went deep for the Brewers. Derrick Turnbow picked up his major league leading 3rd save of the season. Brewers win 3-2.
The Houston Astros beat the Florida Marlins 6-5.Presston Wilson went 3 for 4 against his old team including a 2 run homer. Lance Berkman also hit a 2 run homerun in this game. Brad Lidge picked up his 2nd save of the year as Wandy Rodriguez got the win.
Arizona got a 3 for 4 day from Luis Gonzalez who also drove in 2 runs as the Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2. Tonight these 2 teams play the rubber game starting at 8:35 EDT.
Matt Morris picked up career win number 102 as the Giants beat the Padres 3-1. Morris went 6 1/3 innings gave up 5 hits and 1 run. Moises Alou went 2 for 4 with an RBI to help back Morris effort and gave the Giants a split of the rain shortened series. The Giants go home for their home opener this afternoon as they play host to the Atlanta Braves.
Speaking of Atlanta, the Braves came from 5-0 down to beat the Dodgers in lalaland 9-8. Edgar Renteria, Andruw Jones and Wilson Benemit each drove in 2 runs to help aid the comeback This series featured lots of runs as the Braves outscored the Dodgers 24-23. The Bravesalso outscore the Dodgers in the rubbergame 9-8. Braves head to San Francisco and the Dodgers take tonight off.
That is your look around Major League Baseball.

[Mitchell]

4u, ever thought of being a sports announcer? I say that sincerely, because that was very good!
Am I pleased with my team's 2-1 start? Sure. However, I'm also realistic. While it is far too early to judge anything, I will say that our pitching has been the pits. The Braves aren't going to win 90 plus games by beating people 11-10 and 9-8. Even if our offense is decent, you have to beat most people 3-2, 4-3, or 5-4. I am hopeful our pitching gets better, and that we can at least split the four games in Frisco.
Also, no, I am not doing cartwheels about the Mets loss last night, or about Philly's 0-2 start. My theory about baseball is that unless some team gets off to such a horrid start that they get themselves buried, or someone gets off to a start like the 1984 Tigers who started 35-5, or the 1986 Mets, you really can't tell anything until July. I think most divisions, except for maybe the NL Central, should be close this year, and even there, the Cards may not be as strong as they were last year.
The first games this week have been very interesting. I look forward to more, and of course, to Mets V Braves, beginning a week from Monday.

Mitch

[leafstk]

Blue Jays win their series against the Twins 2-1... yep, I'm psyched! :cool: :bouncybou

[ticklingfeet4fu]

In the American League yesterday:
The Tigers used 7 homeruns of their 12 hit attack to crush the Texas Rangers 10-6. The score is not as close as it appears as the Tigers lead by 7 runs or more troughout this game until 3 runs scored in the 9th inning. Nate Robertson gets his first win of the season and his 3rd in Texas of his career. Those that hit homers were Magglio Ordonez who hit 2, Chris Shelton who also hit 2 and now has 4 on the season, Brandon Inge who now has 3, Craig Monroe and Marcus Thames. Tigers romp 10-6.
Mark Hendrickson pitched a complete game 3 hit shutout as they salvage the third game of their three game set in Baltimore. Hendrickson has complete control of the Orioles as he walked one and struck out 4. Carl Crawford and Jonny Gomes each contributed and RBI and the Devil Rays beat the Orioles 2-0.
Gustavo Chacin went 6 2/3 innings enroute to his first victory of the season as his Jays beat the Twins 6-3. Chacin allowed 6 hits and 3 runs and B.J Ryan came in and closed the door for his 2nd save of the year. Catcher Jason Phillips went 1 for 5 but had a big 2 run double to pace the Blue Jay attack. Lyle Overbay contributed and RBI Triple.
The Mariners moved in sole possession of first place as they dumped the A's 6-2. Carl Everett slammed a 2 run homer and Kenji Johiyma is adjusting to life in the major leagues by going 2 for 4 with an RBI. Gil Meche allowed 4 hits and 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings got the win. Eric Chavez doubled and homered in a losing effort as the Mariners beat Oakland 6-2.

In the National League:
The Cardinals doubled up the Phillies 4-2 as the Cardinals sweep the series. Scott Rolen provided an RBI single late in this game to give the Cards the win over his former mates. Jimmy Rollins 38 game hitting streak is over as he went 0 for 4.
The Giants knocked off the Braves 6-4. Giants scored all 6 runs in the third capped off by Pedro Feliz bases loaded double. This offset the Braves 3 solo homeruns by Brian McCann, Jorge Sosa ( starter and loser ) and Brian Jordan. Giants have now won 2 straight.
The Cincinnati Reds handed the Pirates their 4th straight loss to open the season. They beat the Pirates 6-5. Adam Dunn and Tony Womack went 2 for 5 and each drove in 2 runs. Joe Randa hit a three run homer in a losing cause. Reds 6-Pirates 5.
Arizona jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back as they drubbed the Colorado Rockies 12-5. Chris Snyder had a career day as he homered and drove in a career high 5 RBI and Jeff DaVanon chipped in with 3 RBI. Arizona wins big 12-5.
At Shea last night Pedro made his first start of the year and won despite struggling. Pedro went 6 innings gave up 5 runs on 4 hits walked 5 and hit 3 batters. The Mets hit 4 batters in the game ( franchise record ). Pedro hit Jose Guillen for a second time in this game which touched off a benches clearing get together in front of the mound. No punches thrown and order was restored. Nick Johnson then crushed a 3 run homer into the night to tie the game at 5. Delgado put the Mets ahead to stay at 6-5 with a laser beam homerun. Carlos Beltran then added a 2 run homer ( his first hit of the year ) to give the Mets an 8-5 lead. Mets beat the Nationals 10-5.

[Angel_2]

Mets win 2 games to 1 over the Nats at Shea. Now lets get ready for the Fish. Trax gose today

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Little late, but a wrap up of yesterday's games:
In the American League:
The Indians beat the Twins 11-6. Travis Hafner went 4 for 4 with a homer and 2 RBI. Casey Blake broke open a 4-3 game with a Grand Slam homerun in the 5th to give the a big win over the Twins.
The Red Sox received 14 walks including 4 with the bases loaded and got 16 hits as well as the Red Sox pounded Baltimore 14-8. Trot Nixon had a 2 for 4 night including a 2 run homer and 4 RBI.
Tampa Bay overcame a 6 run deficit ( 6-0 ) and defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-8. The Rays got 4 homeruns which included Ty Wigginton's 3 run blast and a 2 run homer by Travis Lee and Jonny Gomes. The Blue Jays got 2 homeruns from Vernon Wells and a 3 run homer from Troy Glaus but it was not enough as the Blue Jays fall to Tampa Bay 9-8.
The Detroit Tigers remain perfect as they beat the Texas Rangers last night 5-2. Chris Shelton who is hitting .688 on the young season hit his fifth homerun and drove in 2. Marcus Thames had 3 hits as well and scored twice to back up the pitching of Mike Maroth. The Tigers go to 4-0 they win 5-2.
The White Sox blew a 6-0 lead and fell to the Kansas City Royals 11-7. For KC it was their first victory of the season. John Buck, Angel Berroa and Doug Mientkiewicz each drove in 2 runs contributing to the come back for the Royals. For the World Champions that is their third straight loss since their opening day win.
Joe Blanton went 8 strong innings giving up only 2 hit and walking 1 as the A's defeated the Seattle Mariners 5-0. Mark Kotsay had 2 hits and 2 RBI and Marco Scutaro had a 2 run triple to pace Oakland's offense.
Orlando Cabrera hit a 2 run homer in the 1st inning off of Shawn Chacon and the Angels never looked back as the Angels beat the " high and mighty " Yankees 4-1. Kelvim Escobar kept the Yankees in check allowing 1 run in 6 innings. Angels are now 2-2 and the Yankees dropped to last place in their division as they stand at 1-3.

In the National League:
The Cubs receive a solid performance from Greg Maddux and an incredible defensive play from Matt Murton as the Cubs beat the Cardinals 5-1. Ronny Cedeno contributed 2 hits and an RBI to the cause as Maddux picked up his 319th career win. Cubs beat arch rivals Cardinals 5-1.
After learning that Eric Gagne was going to miss at least 6 weeks due to elbow surgery the Dodgers went out and handed the winless Phillies their 4th straight loss. Brett Tomko pitched 6 strong innings and Dannys Baez picked up his 2nd save of the season. Final score the Dodgers 5- Phillies 3.
After waiting through 2 1/2 hours of rain the Reds handed the Pirates their 5th srtaight loss 7-6. Felipe Lopez had 2 homeruns and 3 RBI and David Ross kicked in with a homer and 2 RBI. Sean Casey had a homer and 2RBI against his ex-mates in a lossing effort.
The Astros beat the Nationals 6-1. Lance Berkman had a homer and 3 RBI and Preston Wilson had a 2 run homer as the Astros easily handed the Nationals their third loss in 4 contests. Brandon Backe pitch 6 strong innings giving up a run on 3 hits and striking out 3 for his first win of the season.
The Milwaukee Brewers got a homerun from Carlos Lee and he scored another on Ricky Weeks RBI triple as the Brew Crew stay undefeated. They beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1. Dave Bush allowed only 1 run on 2 hits across 7 innings of work while striking out 7 batters. The Brewers are now 4-0 on the year.
The Mets beat the Marlins last night 9-3. David Wright and Jose Reyes each hit a homerun and drove in three a piece as they paced a 9 run outburst by the Mets. Steve Trachsel the starter gave up a mamouth homerun to ex-Met Mike Jacobs and allowed only 2 other hits. Trachsel also helped his own cause by ripping an RBI double and scoring on Jose Reyes single. Jacobs drove in all three runs for the Marlins in defeat.
The Colorado Rockies pounded the San diego Padres 10-4. The Rockies got a 4 for 5 effort from Eli Marrero who also drove in 4 runs and from Joe Smith who homered and drove in 2. Jason Fogg went 6 innings and gave up 3 earned runs in picking up his first win of the season.
Finally, the Braves waited through a 2 hour rain delay and showed the same patience as they batted. The Braves received 10 walks a hit batter and got 14 hits as they pounced on the Giants 14-6. Ryan Langerhans went 3 for 5 and drove in 5 runs. The Braves scored a season high 8 runs in the 7th inning to turn a 6-4 deficit into a 12-6 lead. Braves crush the Giants 14-6.
A note: The game between the Marlins and the Mets today at Shea Stadium has been postponed because of rain. Until tomorrow, enjoy the games everyone. :couch:

[leafstk]

Blowing a 6-0 lead to the Devil Rays yesterday was hard to stomach... but I'm glad they got them today (the Jays that is) :D

[ticklingfeet4fu]

The wrap-up for April 9th in the world of baseball.

In the American League:
The Toronto Blue Jays overcame a 4-0 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8-4. Frank Catalanotto went 3 for 3 and drove in 2 runs and Greg Zaun hit a 2 run blast to help Toronto knock off their division rivals 8-4.
The Kansas City Royals made it 2 straight over the World Champion Chicago White Sox as they beat the Sox 4-3. Reggie Sanders hit a 2 run double in the 6th inning to give the Royals a 2-1 and after the Sox retook the lead Mike Sweeney answered with a two run homer in the 8th inning. For the White Sox it was their fourth straight loss as they drop to 1-4.
The Red Sox waited for 90 minutes for the rain to stop but was well worth it. The Red Sox got a great pitching performance from Kurt Schilling and got key hits from Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek to defeat the Orioles 2-1. Schilling went 7 innings gave up only 1 run on 3 hits and he struck out 4. Jonathon Papelbon got his second save of the year.
The Indians behind Jason Johnson shutout the Minnesota Twins 3-0.Travis Hafner backed up Johnson's performance as he went 3 for 3 including a homerun and 2 RBI. Hafner is now 7 for 7 in this series as the Twins staff has yet to get the hitter out. The Indians are now 4-1 and the Twins drop to 1-4.
The Detroit Tigers stay extremely hot as they beat up the Texas Rangers 7-0. Justin Verlander gave up 2 hits and 2 walks in 7 innings striking out 7 batters. Chris Shelton continues to stay hot as he went 3 for 4 raising his average from .688 to .700. He had 2 triples and 3 RBI and Curtis Granderson crushed a 2 run homer as the Tigers are now 5-0 and that is their best start since 1985.
In Seattle, the A's shutout the Mariners again 3-0. The A's staff allowed 1 hit tonight. Last night they allowed 2 hits. The Mariners in 18 innings against Oakland pitching have only 3 hits. Mark Kotsay put the A's on the board in the 4th inning with a solo shot and Marco Scutaro had a run scored and an RBI to back up Barry Zito and company. Zito surrendered the only hit as he worked the first 6 innings and struck out 6 batters. Houston Street last year's rookie of the year got his 1st save of the year.
The Los Angeles Angels sent the Yankees to their 4th straight loss as they beat the Yankees 3-2. Adam Kennedy provided the winning margin with a 2 run triple in the 5th inning. Randy Johnson pitched a complete game despite the loss he did strike out 8. The Yankees 3,4,5 hitters are now 2 for 22 in this series.

In the National League:
The Chicago Cubs despite 3 errors on the field beat the Cardinals 3-2. Michael Barrett hit a 2 run homer as a PH to tie the game in the 7th inning and Derrick Lee provided the winning margin with a solo shot in the 8th inning to give the Cubs their third win in four games.
The Cincinnati Reds are now 4-1 as they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-9. Rich Aurilia hit a 3 run homer in the first inning and the Reds were never headed. Austin Kearns homered and scored twice and Javier Valentin drove in 2 with a double. For the Pirates it was their 6th straight loss and that is their worst start ( 0-6 ) since 1974.
The Brewers are now 5-0 as they beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4. Prince Fielder was 3 for 4 including his 1st homer of the season and his third of his career. Gabe Gross had a 2run single and Carlos Lee drove in 2 including the gamewinner in the bottom of the ninth to give the Brewers their best start since 1987. Arizona now drops to 2-3.
San Francisco got a 4 for 4 day from Omar Vizquel including 5 RBI and a 2 run shot from Moises Alou as they crushed the Braves 12-6. In a game that was never close the Giants jumped out to an 8-0 lead. Chipper Jones and Edgar Renteria had 3 RBI a piece in the loss.
The Nationals came from behind to defeat the homestanding Houston Astros 12-8. Jose Vidro was 2 for 5 with 5 RBI which included a three run homer. Alfonso Soriano also drove in 4 with a double and a homerun. The Nationals are now 2-3 on the season as Livan Hernandez ( 1-1 ) picked up the win.
The Rockies scored 7 runs in the first inning and coasted to a 12-4 victory over the Padres. Miguel Ojeda capped the seven run first with a two run dinger and had 4 RBI in total. The Rockies improve their record to 3-2 and the Padres drop to 1-3 on the young season.
The rainouts: The Dodgers were rained out at Philadelphia today. They will make that game up as part of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon starting at 1:05pm EDT.
The Marlins were also rained out today at Shea Stadium against the Mets. They will make that game up as part of a day/night doubleheader on Saturday, July 8th. The first game will be a FOX regional game so it will start at 1:25pm EDT. The second game will be played at 7:10pm EDT that night.

That is all for now; until tomorrow enjoy the games everybody. :xpulcy:

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Here we go for an April 9th wrap-up in baseball:

In the American League:
The Indians swept away the Twins by beating them 3-2. Eduardo Perez ( son of the great Tony Perez ) hit a homer and Aaron Boone hit a 2 run double to twart any comeback by the Twins. Jake Westbrook went to 2-0 with 7 1/3 innings of solid baseball. He gave up 2 hits, 1 run and struck out 4. Bob Wickman picked up his third save of the season.
Tampa Bay beat the Blue Jays by a final of 5-2. Scott Kazmir bounced back from a poor outing by giving the Devil Rays 8 2/3 innings. He did allow 12 hits but only 2 runs. He struck out 6 as he moved his record to 1-1. Dan Miceli got his second save of the year.
The Red Sox beat the Orioles 4-1. Adam Stern who entered the game with 2 career hits and 2 career RBI doubled both totals as he went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI. Stern's performance backed up Tim Wakefield's performance. Wakefield went 6 innings giving up 5 hits and 1 unearned run. Jonathon Papelbon came in to get his third save of the young season.
The Rangers stopped the Detroit Tigers 5-3. It was the Tigers 1st loss in the 2006 season. The Tigers are now 5-1. the Rangers improved to 2-5. The Rangers got 6 strong innings from Vicente Padilla and Brad Wilkerson hit an 2 run double. Francisco Cordero got his 1st save while snapping the Rangers 4 game skid.
The white sox put a stop to their four game losing streak as they beat Kansas City 3-1. Joe Crede hit a 2 run double and Mark Buehrle did everything else as he shutout the Royals for 8 innings before giving way to the pen. Scott Elerton went 8 innings giving up 3 runs on 5 hits lost the game.
Rich Harden pitched into the 8th inning allowing 1 run on 3 hits as the A's have won 5 of their last 6 games. The A's beat the Mariners 6-4. Mark Ellis went 3 for 4 and had 2 RBI as the A's won the final three games of this four game series.
The New York Yankees snapped a four game losing streak as they dominated the Angels 10-1. Jorge Posada went 3 for 4 with 2 homeruns and 5 RBI. Alex Rodriguez added a solo shot as the Yankees come home 2-4 on the season.

In the National League:
The New York Mets made it 4 of their first 5 as they beat the Florida Marlins 3-2. Glavine pitched great over his six innings as he gave up 2 runs on 5 hits. But Dontrell was even better pitching 8 innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits. But it was the Marlin pen that would decide this game as Carlos Martinez gave up a run scoring out to David Wright after walking Carlos Beltran and a single to Carlos Delgado. Wright had a two-run triple earlier in the game. The Marlins are now 1-4 on the young season.
The Pittsburgh Pirates on the 5th year anniversary of their best slugging first baseman's death, finally put one in the win column after recording 6 straight losses. April 9th, 2001 the Pirates opened up their PNC Park for the VERY first time. But it also marked the date that the great Willie Stargell died. On here on April 9th, 2006 the Pirates were still searching for their first win. They found it finally in Cincinnati as they beat the Reds 5-3. Jack Wilson hit a 2 run homerun in the fifth inning for the Pirates fourth lead of the season. This time it stood up. Roberto Hernandez recorded his 325th career save putting him into 10th place on the all-time saves list. Pirates go home to face the Dodgers at PNC Park today. It will be their home opener.
The Astros finished off the Nationals with a win 7-3. Adam Everett had 3 RBI to help pace the Astros. The Nationals played sloppy in this game committing a couple of errors to aid the Astros. Andy Pettitte pitched well to run his record to 1-1. Today the Nationals finish their road trip with one more here at Minute Maid Park. Final score: Astros 7 - Nationals 3.
The Milwaukee Brewers were finally stopped by the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching staff on 4 hits as they lost for the first time this year 7-0. The Diamondbacks Carlos Vargas picked up the win was aided by Tony Clark's two run homer and 3 RBI in the game. Damian Easley also provide some spark as he lead the game off with a homerun. For Arizona they are now 3-3 and the Brewers take their 5-1 record into the new Busch Stadium and help the Cardinals with their home ( stadium ) opener today at 4:10pm EDT.
The Rockies completed the early season sweep of the Padres in San Diego as the Rockies clubbed the Padres 10-4. Jason Smith had 2 homeruns and drove in four and Brad Hawpe was a double short of the cycle and he too drove in 3 runs to pace a Rockies 18 hit attack. Jason Jennings picked up his 1st win of the season and the Rockies fourth in 6 games. The Padres are now 1-4 on the season.
The San Francisco Giants after blowing a 4-1 lead came back and beat the Braves for the second straight game 6-5. The Giants down 5-4 got a game tying homerun from Lance Niekro ( his second RBI of the game ) in the ninth inning and got the game win RBI single from Randy Winn ( who was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI ) moments later. Earlier in the game, Atlanta's all-star third baseman Chipper Jones went down in a heap holding his right knee after trying to field a slow groundball on the wet field. Jones was helped off the field by the trainer and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. Right now they are say a sprained ankle and a possible problem with the ACL. Jones had a problem with a torn left ACL in 1994 delaying his entering his rookie season. Hopefully, it is just a sprain and Chipper get on the field in short order. Giants end up winning 6-5. Giants are now 4-2 and the Braves dropped to 3-4 go home for the first time tonight to face Philadelphia.
Speaking of Philadelphia, they played a double-dip against the Dodgers yesterday. In game one the Phillies pick-up their first win of the season with a 6-3 victory. The Dodgers blew a 3-0 lead. Aaron Rowand tied the game in the seventh with an RBI single and Bobby Abreu finished off the Dodgers with a game-winning walk-off 3 run blast.
In game two, Bobby Abreu was 3 for 3 with 2 RBI but was not enough as the Dodgers gained a split in the twinbill 6-2. Pitcher Brad Penny had an RBI single to give the Dodgers a lead they would never relinquish. Ramon Martinez had a 2 run double to help Penny along as well. Penny went to 2-0 as he pitched 7 innings giving up 4 hits and 1 run as he struck out 6. Jon Lieber also went 7 strong innings as he gave 2 runs on 8 hits and struck out 4. Lieber lost the game it was his second loss of the season as his record is now 0-2.
Finally, the Nation witnessed the Cubs sweeping of the Cardinals 8-4. Despite Scott Rolen's 2 run homer and Albert Pujols 2 run single the Cardinals could not contain the Cubs offense. Jacque Jones hit a three run homer to dead center and Michael Barrett on a 2-2 pitch with the bases loaded in the 8th innings crush a Jason Isringhausen fastball onto Waverly Ave. providing the Cubs a 7-4 lead. the Cubs would tack on another run and the Cubs have themselves a sweep of the Cardinals. the Cards limp home on a 3 game losing streak to open their home schedule and face the first place Brewers.

Today's Schedule:
In the American League:
Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers ( Home Opener ) 1:05pm
Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Devil Rays ( Home Opener ) 7:15pm
Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels 10:05

In the National League:
Los Angeles Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates ( Home Opener ) 1:35pm
Washington Nationals at Houston Astros 2:05pm
Milwaukee Brewers at St.Louis Cardinals ( Home Opener ) 4:10pm
Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves ( Home Opener ) 7:05pm

All times are EDT.

Until Tomorrow, enjoy the games everyone. :smilestar

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Wrap-up for April 10th

In the AL it was a light schedule.

Chicago White Sox spoiled the Tigers home opener and beat them 5-3. After Craig Monroe hit a 2 run homer to put the Tigers on top, the power took over for the Sox. Jim Thome hit a 2 run homer as they still are looking for the ball. It was last seen heading east towards Baltimore. Joe Crede hit a 2 run blast that gave Sox a 4-2 lead and Paul Konerko hit a solo shot to complete the scoring for the Sox. White Sox 5- Tigers 3.
Orioles got 4 runs in the 3rd inning and beat Tampa 6-3. Jay Gibbons had 2 hit and 2 RBI for the winning Orioles. Erik Bedard went 7innings gave up no runs on 4 hits he struck out 5. Bedard is now 2-0 and both teams are now 3-4 on the year.
Texas got 2 runs in the first with a 2 run homer by Phil Nevin and would score no more. The Angels scored 3 in the 2nd inning and never looke back. 5 different Angels drove in runs to lead a balanced attck against Rangers pitching. John Lackey went 7 innings gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 8 batters. He is now 1-1 and the Angels push their record to 4-3. The Rangers drop to 2-6.

In the NL:
The Dodgers beat Zach Duke and the Pirates 8-3. Jason Repko had a 2 run HR and a 2 run triple to pace the Dodgers to back to back wins for the first time this year.
Astros sent Washington home on a bad note as the Astros hit 3 homeruns and beat the Nationals 5-4 in 12 innings. Chad Qualls won in relief and Mike Stanton lost his first game.
Bill Hall hit the first homer in the new Busch Stadium but Homeruns by Albert Pujols and pitcher Mark Mulder and a 2 run double by Scott Rolen out did the Brewers 6-4. Mulder went went 8 innings and gave up 7 hits and 5 k's to earn the win.
The Braves came home and beat the hapless Phillies 5-3. Andruw Jones and Marcus Giles hit solo HR's and pitcher John Thompson had a 2 run double. For the Braves it was their 4th win in 8 tries and the Phillies are now 1-6.

Enjoy the games everyone.