MLB FanHouse

Starting Five: Game 162 Arrives With Lone Race Undecided

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Dodgers, Rockies, Tigers, Twins, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the final day of the regular season has arrived and there are still two meaningful baseball games to be played. There would have been three if the Dodgers hadn't snapped their five-game losing streak by beating the Rockies, clinching the National League West and relegating the Rockies to the wild card.

Meanwhile, the Tigers kept sliding and the Twins kept climbing. Minnesota's 5-4 victory over Kansas City and Detroit's 5-1 loss to the White Sox left the two teams dead even. The Tigers had been alone in first since July 24.

If it's not settled on Sunday -- the Tigers host the White Sox at 1:05 PM ET and the Twins host the Royals at 2:10 PM ET -- the teams will meet on Tuesday at 5 PM ET at the Metrodome to determine who goes on and who goes home.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainer's Room...
Rockies lefty Jorge De La Rosa had to come out of Saturday's game with a groin injury after three innings. The Rockies aren't yet sure of the severity, but they haven't ruled him out for the playoffs. He could be pushed all the way back to Game 4, next Sunday. The Rockies have until Wednesday to set their playoff roster, so they can take some more time to evaluate him. The Rockies were going to pick between Jason Hammel and Jason Marquis for the final spot, so both would start if De La Rosa can't go.

Numbers Game ...
Angels lefty Scott Kazmir finished off his regular season with more of the same solid work. Kazmir pitched five scoreless innings against the A's. He has a 1.74 ERA with the Angels after bringing a 5.92 ERA over from Tampa Bay. Kazmir is in line to start Game 3 of the Division Series in Boston.

In Their Own Words ...
"It was ugly. ... There's not one thing I can take out of it that was positive." -- Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, who gave up five runs (three earned) and four walks in a loss to Tampa Bay in his final tuneup for the playoffs.

Advance Scouting ...
Other than the three games that impact the postseason race, there are a handful of games featuring top starting pitchers trying to put the final touches on outstanding seasons. Two games in particular might be worth watching if you just like to see good pitching. In Philadelphia, the Marlins' Josh Johnson goes against the Phillies' J.A. Happ (1:35 PM ET). In Seattle, the Mariners' Felix Hernandez pitches against Texas' Scott Feldman (4:10 PM ET).

Starting Five: Game 162 Arrives With Lone Race Undecided originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Wild West Weekend on Tap

Andrew Johnson — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Dodgers, Marlins, Rays, Rockies, Tigers, Twins, NL West, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the NL West race will come down to the final weekend of the regular season.

The Rockies held on for a 4-3 win over the Dodgers Friday night, cutting Los Angeles' lead in the division to one game behind shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's 32nd home run of the year and 10 strikeouts from Ubaldo Jimenez.

The Dodgers, who lost their fifth straight, have already won the season series, meaning that Colorado will have to win the final two games of the regular season in L.A. to win the division since both teams have already clinched playoff spots.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Marquis, winners of a combined 31 games this year, will start the Rockies' final two games, but 21-year-old Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who will face De La Rosa on Saturday, will pose a significant obstacle to Colorado's hopes of stealing away the NL West.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Don't expect to see Cody Ross again this season. The Marlins outfielder, sidelined since last weekend after getting hit on the wrist by a pitch, hasn't played since Saturday because of lingering soreness in the area. It's unlikely Ross will play again this season, but that won't stop him from trying.

"I want to get back out there," Ross said. "I want to finish the season. I don't want to finish on the bench."

Numbers Game ...
CC Sabathia and Adam Wainwright fell short in their respective bids to win 20 games Friday, marking the second time in the last four years that Major League Baseball will not have a 20-game winner. Wainwright was well on his way to a 20th win, carrying a 6-1 lead into the seventh inning, but the Brewers scored six times in that frame (two of the runs were charged to Wainwright) erasing him from the decision.

"This is right there with the most disappointing, toughest regular-season losses that I can remember," manager Tony La Russa said. "It was an important win for us if we can get it with what was at stake. Adam has been so great all year long. I'm really, really disappointed."

The Cardinals rallied to win the game 12-6.

In Their Own Words ...
"Every one of those balls was just scorched. I mean, I don't think I've ever hit five balls hard like that in a row. He hit them all really hard, too." -- Rays utilityman Ben Zobrist on B.J. Upton's cycle -- the first in Tampa Bay franchise history and a feat Upton accomplished in just five innings. The Rays center fielder finished with five hits and six RBI.

Advance Scouting ...
The Twins are within a game of the Tigers in the AL Central, but their biggest hurdle to tying Detroit awaits Saturday against the Royals. Minnesota must face top Cy Young contender Zack Greinke (4:10 PM ET), who is 16-8 with a 2.06 ERA this year, needing to win out and the Tigers to lose on of their remaining games just to force a playoff. Nick Blackburn, starting on three days of rest, will go for the Twins.

Starting Five: Wild West Weekend on Tap originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Carpenter Builds Cardinals Win All on His Own

Andrew Johnson — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Dodgers, Phillies, Rockies, Tigers, Twins, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
Chris Carpenter may win one of the closest NL Cy Young races in years, but his final start of the regular season will be better remembered for what he did with that bat.

The right-hander threw five shutout innings in a 13-0 win over the Reds. Six of those Cardinal runs were driven in by Carpenter, who hit the first home run of his career, a grand slam, in the second inning. He added a two-run double later.

"That was one of the funner days I've ever had," Carpenter said. ... "I think the only other home run I hit had to be in high school. I was a really good hitter, I guess, but I grew up in New Hampshire, and we didn't see many 90 mph fastballs."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

The win kept St. Louis in striking distance of Philadelphia and home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Cardinals are a game behind the Phillies in the standings, but because Philadelphia won the season series between the two clubs, St. Louis must pass Philly in the standings to host the first two games of the NLDS.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Bad news for the Phillies' rapidly thinning relief corps. Chan Ho Park, sidelined since Sept. 16 with a strained right hamstring, re-aggravated the injury in an instructional league game. Park faced five hitters and recorded just two outs before removing himself from the appearance. The right-hander will be re-evaluated in Philadelphia, but it certainly doesn't bode well with less than a week to go before the Phillies open the playoffs.

"Evidently, he didn't do real good," Charlie Manuel said before tonight's game. "They told me he got two outs and that he had to leave the game That don't sound good."

Numbers Game ...
Things weren't much better for another Philadelphia pitcher. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee was shaky in his final start before the National League Division Series, allowing three earned runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-3 loss to the Phillies. Lee, who was traded from Cleveland to Philly just before the July 31 trade deadline, was dazzling in his first five starts with his new team, going 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA. Since then, he's 2-4 with a 6.13 ERA.

"There's a few games I'd like to take back," Lee said. "For the most part, I feel pretty good about how I've done. I'm excited to see what (the playoffs) are all about. I have to try not to let the heat of the moment and the emotions get the best of me, and focus on getting hitters out."

In Their Own Words ...
"You can't throw behind their players and expect nothing to happen. If I'm going to get hit, it's going to be because I did something stupid." -- Delmon Young, who was hit behind the knee by Tigers pitcher Jeremy Bonderman in Minnesota's 8-3 win over Detroit. Young showed his anger at the pitch, and both benches cleared, but the Twins outfielder was angry with his own teammate, rookie reliever Jose Mijares, who threw behind Adam Everett's back earlier in the game.

Advance Scouting ...
The Rockies and Dodgers have both punched their tickets to the postseason, but they still have the little matter of the NL West to settle. Colorado comes to Los Angeles Friday night (10:10 PM ET) for the final three games of the season, and it will have to sweep to steal the division away from Joe Torre's club. The Dodgers come into the series cold, having lost four straight, but they have dominated the season series, taking 12 of 15 from the Rockies in 2009.

Starting Five: Carpenter Builds Cardinals Win All on His Own originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: No Match for Nolasco

Andrew Johnson — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Marlins, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Braves are all but done in the NL wild-card race, not that there was anything they could do about it. Atlanta, which had surged into contention over the last few weeks, ran into the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco Wednesday night.

He was on -- very on -- and now the Braves' playoff push is off.

Nolasco struck out 16, a Marlins record, including a stretch where he fanned nine in a row, one shy of the major league record of 10 straight held by Tom Seaver.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"I haven't had that feeling since high school, when you pretty much have a good idea what's going to happen," said Nolasco. "I would never think I would strike out this many hitters against this lineup."

Any Braves loss or Rockies win over the final four days of the regular season will mathematically eliminate Atlanta.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Stop us if you've heard this one before: A Met suffered an injury setback. All-Start shortstop Jose Reyes, out since May 20 with an assortment of nagging hamstring injuries including a torn tendon, further damaged the area, meaning he will almost certainly require surgery in the offseason. Reyes, who relies on his speed as much as any player in baseball, is now not a sure thing to be ready for spring training next year.

Numbers Game ...
Roy Halladay threw his ninth complete game of the season against a vastly depleted Red Sox lineup. It's the third time Halladay has gone the distance nine times in a season. Only five other pitchers have thrown that many completes game in a season this decade -- all of them once -- and only CC Sabathia last year exceeded that total. Doc has 47 complete games since 2000, 11 more than the next closest pitcher, Livan Hernandez.

"It's obviously a nice way to finish," Halladay said. "It's fun when you get runs like that. It takes a lot of the pressure off."

In Their Own Words ...
"I'm sure he had pine tar on his cap. He didn't have any problem getting a grip. Balls like that can generate a lot more movement than a slick ball that hasn't been rubbed up." -- Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan on Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo. Duncan insinuated that Arroyo had pine tar on his cap during St. Louis' 6-1 loss and complained to the umpiring crew that the baseballs being used at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati weren't rubbed up properly. Apparently clinching a playoff spot did little to take the Cardinals off edge.

Advance Scouting ...
Weren't the Rockies just clinging to the wild-card lead over the Braves? All of sudden Colorado's magic number is one and it'll take its first crack at clinching a playoff spot in a Thursday matinee against the Brewers. Aaron Cook will start for the Rockies against Milwaukee's Manny Parra (3:10 PM ET). If Cook can deliver, Colorado will head to Los Angeles for the final three games of the season with a real chance to pass the NL West-leading Dodgers, who are 2 1/2 games ahead in the standings.

Starting Five: No Match for Nolasco originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Rockies Overcome Big Blow, Widen Lead

Jeff Fletcher — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Rockies, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That a couple of game tying three-run homers threatened to make the NL wild-card chase really wild, but the teams that hit them both lost, leaving the Rockies three games up on the Braves with five games to go.

The excitement began in Atlanta, where the Braves' Matt Diaz hit a sixth-inning shot to erase a 4-1 lead. Unfortunately for Atlanta, the Marlins responded with Jorge Cantu's tie-breaking single a half inning later, and Florida held on to snap the Braves' seven-game winning streak.

A few hours later, Rockies closer Huston Street was looking to convert his 27th consecutive save opportunity when he gave up a game-tying homer to the normally powerless Jason Kendall of the Brewers in the ninth. Like the Marlins, the Rockies overcame it, winning in the 11th on Chris Iannetta's two-run homer.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainer's Room ...
Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett said he is fine to make his final regular season start on Saturday. Beckett had his last start scratched because of mild back spasms. The Red Sox, who clinched the wild card because Texas lost late Tuesday night, also got good news on Mike Lowell. Lowell, who had two injections for pain in his hip, is expected to be back in the lineup on Thursday. Lefty Hideki Okajima was OK on Tuesday after missing four games because of a sore right side.

Numbers Game ...
The Cubs accomplished a goal that would seem rather modest, but not for them. By winning their 82nd game on Tuesday, they clinched a third consecutive winning season. It's only the second time in the past 70 years the Cubs have had three consecutive winning seasons. The other stretch (of six straight) was from 1967 to 1972.

In Their Own Words ...
"You want to compete the best you can. You don't want to turn anything off. You can't turn it off and turn it on. Nobody is that good." -- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, expressing concern that his team has lost some of its edge toward the end of the regular season. The Cardinals have lost four of their past five games, with the only victory in that span being the one that clinched the NL Central.

Advance Scouting ...
The Dodgers had a small celebration upon clinching a playoff spot, holding off on the big one until they clinched the division. That was three days ago. Los Angeles will try to snap a three-game losing streak when they play the Padres (10:05 PM ET) in San Diego. Any Dodgers win or Rockies loss will lock up the division for L.A. Needless to say, they'd like to have it over before the Rockies come to town on Friday.

Starting Five: Rockies Overcome Big Blow, Widen Lead originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Jurrjens, Braves Roll On

Ed Price — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Mets, Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
This Jurrjens kid is pretty good.

Jair Jurrjens threw seven scoreless innings on Monday as the Braves downed the Marlins 4-0 and climbed within two games of the Rockies for the wild-card lead.

Atlanta has two more games with Florida and then four against Washington. Colorado hosts Milwaukee for three before finishing with three games at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Right now we feel like we're in control," [Chipper] Jones said. "We're dictating at-bats whether it be on the mound or whether we're hitting. And a lot of good things are happening."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Jurrjens, 23, is 14-10 with a 2.61 ERA -- fourth-best in the National League -- and has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 25 of his 33 starts. Since Aug. 14, he is 5-2 with a 1.70 ERA.

"I can make my dad's dream come true right now if I get to the playoffs," said Jurrjens who grew up a Braves fan in his native Curacao. "My mom said he's put the travel bag out already."

Florida fell 5 1/2 games out in the wild-card race and will be eliminated with one more loss or one Colorado win.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Boston lefty Jon Lester, hit near the right knee by a liner last Friday, threw a bullpen session Monday and is scheduled to start Thursday against Cleveland.

"I felt fine," said Lester. "No problems. Just the normal long tossing and everything. Right around 55 pitches. Everything was good. I felt good this morning when I woke up and walking around and everything. But there's that question in your mind, 'OK, when I get on the mound, is it going to bug me?' And it didn't. Everything was good. I'm sure Thursday is fine."

Meanwhile, third baseman Mike Lowell, who was hampered last postseason by a sore hip that eventually required surgery, received injections Monday in the hip.

"Heading into the postseason, I'd rather have more mobility than less. The docs said this would be a way to alleviate things," he said. "This would be a good time to take two, three days off to really get my hip feeling a lot better."

Numbers Game ...
The Orioles have been out-scored 77-35 in losing 11 straight, their longest skid since a 12-game losing streak in Sept. 2004. They have blown a lead in seven of the 11 losses.

Also -- cue the Boomtown Rats -- Baltimore is 5-14 on Mondays, with losses on 12 straight Monday games since a win on June 1.

In Their Own Words ...
"This is like Groundhog's Day -- I just want to wake up from it. It just keeps happening and keeps happening. It's just frustrating ... because no one likes to lose, and I'm definitely not someone who's going to sit there and say, 'Well at least I put forth a good effort.' I'm tired of losing. I hate losing." -- Mets right-hander Nelson Figueroa, who fell to 2-8 as he lost to the Nationals

Advance Scouting ...
Thanks to rain Monday, the Tigers and Twins start their AL Central showdown with a day/night doubleheader at Comerica Park (12:05 PM and 7:05 PM ET). Detroit goes into the series with a two-game lead and a magic number of six. After Tuesday, the lead will be zero, two or four games with five to play. Nick Blackburn and Rick Porcello are scheduled to start the day game, with Brian Duensing and Justin Verlander in the nightcap.

Starting Five: Jurrjens, Braves Roll On originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Greinke's Cy Case Grows

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Marlins, Red Sox, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Twins, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Zack Greinke is doing everything in his power to win the American League Cy Young Award.

The Royals ace will not get anywhere close to 20 wins, but he did pick up his 16th of the year with seven innings of one-run ball against the Twins. He's now won five straight decisions dating back to Aug. 25 and his ERA is down to 2.06. As pointed out by FanHouse's Jacob Wheatley-Schaller, if Greinke pitches seven shutout innings in his final start of the year next Saturday in Minnesota, he'll finish the year with his ERA under 2.00.

Only one AL pitcher in the last 15 years -- Pedro Martinez in 2000 -- has thrown more than 200 innings in a season and finished with a sub-2.00 ERA

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Greinke departed the mound at Kauffmann Stadium to a loud ovation, a reaction that made him very uncomfortable.

"It's pretty annoying, actually," Greinke said of the cheers about the Cy Young Award. "I don't like it at all. I guess it's nice that they'll do that, but it's annoying to me."

No matter how much the right-hander wants to stay out of the spotlight, his performance has made him impossible to ignore.

"We knew he'd be good," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "We felt like he would be durable. But I don't think anybody could've predicted the impact of his statistics here before his final start."

From the Trainer's Room ...
Marlins ace Josh Johnson was scratched from his Sunday start with flu-like symptoms. The flu bug has been making its way around Florida's clubhouse, affecting a number of players over the last several days. Chris Volstad started in Johnson's place, and the Marlins fell 4-0 to the Mets, officially eliminating them from the NL East race.

Numbers Game ...
In losing to the Yankees, the Red Sox became the first team to start a season 8-0 against another team and then wind up not winning the season series. New York's sweep of Boston over the weekend leveled the season series at 9-all, not that the sudden turn in fortune in the rivalry has the Sox concerned.

"I think they have the best team in the American League East," closer Jonathan Papelbon said. "Sure. Facts are facts. I think there's a little sense of pride in trying to win the division every year. But realistically, the point is getting in and getting hot."

"As of right now, obviously they're the better team," left fielder Jason Bay said. "Once the postseason starts, everything else is kind of thrown out the window."

In Their Own Words ...
"There's been pitches of the year, innings of the year -- that's the defensive play of the year." -- Rockies manager Jim Tracy on Clint Barmes' diving catch that resulted in the game-ending double play of a 4-3 win over the Cardinals. The grab left the second baseman with a welt on his head, a sacrifice he was all too happy to make since it helped Colorado win a three-game series against St. Louis and kept its wild-card lead at 2 1/2 games over the surging Braves, who won in Washington.

Advance Scouting ...
Separated by two games in the AL Central, the Tigers host the Twins in the opener of a four-game set (7:05 PM ET) that will likely determine the division. Detroit, which carries the edge in the standings into this series, will send Rick Porcello to the mound against Minnesota's Nick Blackburn. The Tigers are 48-26 at Comerica Park this year, the third best home mark in the American League, but just 5-9 against the Twins.

Starting Five: Greinke's Cy Case Grows originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Thome Finally Arrives, Helps Dodgers Clinch

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Athletics, Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Nationals, Red Sox, Yankees, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Jim Thome picked a good time to finally make his first significant contribution since the Dodgers got him to be their star pinch-hitter. Thome's two-run pinch-hit single keyed a four-run inning in a come-from-behind 8-4 victory over the Pirates that locked up a playoff spot for Los Angeles.

Thome had been 2-for-11 pinch-hitting for the Dodgers, with no RBI. He came up just after the Dodgers had taken a 5-4 lead and delivered a two-run single. Just a day earlier, Thome had an injection in a sore foot that has hampered him for a couple weeks.

After the Dodgers won, they had a subdued champagne toast -- no dumping or spraying -- to celebrate the team's third postseason appearance in the past four years. They are holding off on the big party until they close out the Rockies. Their magic number to win the NL West is two. They could do it as soon as Sunday.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainer's Room ...
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was hit just above his left knee by a foul tip, suffering a bruise that forced him out of the game. Losing their All-Star backstop could have been disastrous, but Molina said after the game -- while doused in champagne from the division-clinching win -- that he was OK, and might just miss "a couple days." Molina probably would have sat out Sunday under any circumstances, and the Cardinals are off on Monday.

Numbers Game ...
The Angels became the last team in baseball to suffer a four-game losing streak, and they did it in particularly ugly fashion. They blew a seven-run lead in a 15-10 loss to the A's. The stunning victory for the A's came against Angels starter John Lackey, who had been 16-4 with a 2.54 ERA against Oakland. The Angels' magic number to win the AL West is still four. They open a series with second-place Texas on Monday.

In Their Own Words ...
"If it could go wrong, it went wrong. Freakish things are happening." -- Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, after his team made three errors in a loss to the Braves. The Nationals lost their 102nd game, allowing the Braves to win for the 13th time in 15 games as they pulled within 2 1/2 games of Colorado in the wild-card race.

Advance Scouting ...
The Yankees have a chance to clinch their first AL East title since 2006 -- can you believe it's been that long? -- if they beat the Red Sox Sunday (1:05 PM ET). Andy Pettitte starts for the Yankees against Boston's Paul Byrd. The Red Sox still have a magic number of three to clinch the wild card.

Starting Five: Thome Finally Arrives, Helps Dodgers Clinch originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Vazquez Dealing, Braves Streaking Into Contention

Jeff Fletcher — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Reds, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That when we told you a few weeks ago that the Braves were just about dead, we might have been a bit premature. Led by Javier Vazquez's third complete game of the season, the Braves beat the Nationals, 4-1, winning their fourth game in a row and 12th out of the past 14.

The Braves are still 3 1/2 behind the Rockies in the wild-card race (and mathematically alive in the NL East, believe it or not), but they do have at least one thing in their favor. They play the Nationals six more times in their final nine games, with the other three against Florida.

In Friday's game, Vazquez added another line to his under-appreciated resume. He is 10-2 since July 7. He has 15 victories this season. The only pitcher to win at least 10 games every year since 2000, Vazquez is second only to Randy Johnson in strikeouts in the decade.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainer's Room ...
Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee couldn't play on Friday night because of a neck spasms. The injury was aggravated by teammates whacking him too hard on the head after he scored ahead of Jeff Baker's ninth-inning two-run homer on Thursday night. Pitcher Angel Guzman was identified as the player who hit Lee. Manager Lou Piniella didn't blame Guzman, though.

"All Guzman was trying to do was congratulate him for the stolen base and getting on base and scoring a run. It's something that just happened. I'm not faulting anybody."

Numbers Game ...
The Reds pounded out a 10-1 victory over the Astros, the 22nd win in their past 32 games. They have the best record in the majors since Aug. 22.

In Their Own Words ...
"Regardless of what happens this winter, it means a lot to me." -- Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, who was greeted by fans chanting "Thank You Roy" after his final home game of the season. Halladay is signed through next year, but the Blue Jays may opt to trade him over the winter, considering they shopped him at the trading deadline.

Advance Scouting ...
The Dodgers and Cardinals will both try again to lock up playoff spots. Each failed on Friday. The Dodgers, who play the Pirates (7:05 PM ET) need a win or a Braves loss to clinch a playoff spot. The Cardinals, who play the Rockies (8:10 PM ET), need a win or a Cubs loss to clinch the NL Central.

Starting Five: Vazquez Dealing, Braves Streaking Into Contention originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Washington Won't Be Only Century City

Ed Price — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Indians, Mariners, Nationals, Orioles, Pirates, Red Sox, Rockies, Royals, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
One team has 100 defeats, two more could follow -- and there could even be a record-tying four 100-loss teams.

The Nationals on Thursday fell to 52-100 with their 7-6 loss to the Dodgers. And the Pirates are 56-95 after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Reds.

Anyone want to bet Pittsburgh -- 3-23 since Aug. 28 -- goes better than 6-5 in its final three series against Los Angeles, Chicago and Cincinnati?

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

The other two candidates to hit the century mark are Baltimore (60-92) and Cleveland (61-91). The Orioles have lost seven straight while the Indians have dropped 11 in a row, one off the team-record skid set in 1931.

We'd bet on both teams to reach 100 losses but for one small detail: They play each other this weekend.

Which means someone's losing streak ends tonight. And the only way for both teams to lose 100 is if Baltimore wins two of three this weekend and both teams then drop their final seven games.

Which, considering how these teams are going, isn't out of the realm of possibility.

The only time four teams lost 100 games in the same season was 2002 -- Detroit, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. There have been seven other seasons with three 100-loss teams, but only once (1985) since it happened four times in five years after the 1961 expansion.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez -- who has hit .297 with a .601 slugging percentage since Aug. 7 -- has missed two straight games with a tight left hamstring.

"We are backing off," [manager Jim] Tracy said. "He will be available to hit. But I wouldn't put him out there where he has to run. The injury is near the bottom of the hamstring so we have to be very careful."

Numbers Game ...
Boston's Clay Buchholz allowed fewer than two runs for the fourth straight start, pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a win at Kansas City. Since Sept. 8, Buchholz is 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA, 18 hits allowed (one homer) and 19 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

In Their Own Words ...
"I'd vote for Greinke, he's doing a great job. He's tough, he's nasty." -- Seattle ace Felix Hernandez (who improved to 17-5 Thursday with a win in Toronto) on the debate over whether he or Kansas City's Zack Greinke should win the AL Cy Young Award

Advance Scouting ...
If the Braves are going to make a dramatic charge to the playoffs, this is the weekend to gain major ground. Atlanta -- 3 1/2 games behind Colorado -- opens a three-game series in Washington Friday night (7:05 PM ET), while the Rockies host the NL Central-leading Cardinals for three (8:10 PM ET). The Braves passed the Giants, who stayed four back of the Rockies with Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

Starting Five: Washington Won't Be Only Century City originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Phils No Closer to Solving Closer Problem

Ed Price — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Brewers, Phillies, Rangers, Twins, White Sox, AL Central, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Brad Lidge problem is back again.

Lidge on Wednesday blew a save for the 11th time -- most in the NL in 11 years -- as the Phillies lost 7-6 to the Marlins.

He entered for the bottom of the ninth, after Ross Gload's leadoff double, got two outs. But Hanley Ramirez walked, Jorge Cantu singled and Brett Carroll singled to hand Lidge the loss.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Manager Charlie Manuel acknowledged the Phils' dilemma: With so many other contingency plans thwarted by injuries, [Ryan] Madson and Lidge are forced into the setup and closer roles. If those two succeed, the Phillies are a dangerous team. If they perform as they did last night, the team will not win another World Series.

"It's hard for us to close a game out," said Manuel, who conceded that the Madson-Lidge combination "is kind of what we've got."

Lidge spoke with a flat voice and glassy eyes. "It's incredibly frustrating," he said, clearly struggling to explain another loss. "I'm disappointed."

Lidge, who didn't blow a save all last season, has failed on five of his past 15 save chances. He has eight losses and a 7.48 ERA, worst ever for a closer (20 or more saves).

Only one pitcher ever, according to STATS LLC, has had 11 blown saves, eight relief losses and an ERA greater than 7.00: Norm Charlton for the 1997 Mariners (11 blown saves, eight relief losses, 7.27 ERA).

From the Trainer's Room ...
Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, who has made 97 starts this season, was found to have no structural damage in his sore left wrist, but he will sit out another three-five days after receiving an anti-inflammatory injection. Philadelphia needs Ruiz in the postseason; 37-year-old backup Paul Bako is a career .230 hitter with a .194 average in 17 playoff games.

Numbers Game ...
Milwaukee's Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer to take sole possession of the major-league lead in RBI, with 131. He can become the first Brewer to lead the NL in RBI and the first Brewer to lead the majors outright since Cecil Cooper in 1980. Another Cecil and another Fielder -- Prince's father, Cecil Fielder -- led the majors in RBI in 1990-92 for Detroit.

In Their Own Words ...
"We won our ballgames, but we also got a couple of guys hot so they can go play Detroit. I think Dye, we put him on the right track. Maybe he can take care of the Motown boys." -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, whose team (2 1/2 games out in the AL Central) overcame two Jermaine Dye homers for an 8-6 victory over the White Sox, who face the first-place Tigers this weekend

Advance Scouting ...
Scott Feldman needs a win this afternoon at Oakland (3:35 PM ET) if he is to become Texas' first 20-game winner in 11 years. Feldman is 17-5 with, likely, three starts left. The Rangers' three 20-game winners were Ferguson Jenkins in 1974 (25-12), Kevin Brown in 1992 (21-11) and Rick Helling in 1998 (20-7). With a 12-1 road record, Feldman can become the first pitcher with 13 wins away from home since CC Sabathia in 2001.

Starting Five: Phils No Closer to Solving Closer Problem originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Bucs Are Bottoming Out

Andrew Johnson — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Tigers, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Pittsburgh Pirates keep finding new lows.

Apparently a North American professional sports record 17th straight losing season wasn't enough of an indignity, so the 2009 Bucs went out and put together the second-worst 24-game stretch in the franchise's 123-year history.

The Pirates lost for the 21st time in their last 24 games Tuesday night, a 10-4 defeat suffered at the hands of the Reds.

"It's no fun, that's for sure," Pirates manager John Russell said. "It bothers every player in that clubhouse and everyone on our coaching staff. All we can do, though, is come back tomorrow and prepare ourselves to come back out and try to win a game."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"It's wearing," losing pitcher Zach Duke said. "We need a win and a well-played game right now. We need one desperately."

The last time the Pirates played this poorly over a similar stretch, Benjamin Harrison was president. The year was 1890.

From the Trainer's Room ...
All-Star catcher Brian McCann is day-to-day after taking a foul ball off of his left wrist in the Braves' 3-1 win over the Mets. McCann came out of the game in the fourth inning after suffering the injury in the bottom of the third. X-rays were negative.

Numbers Game ...
Mark Reynolds struck out three times in Arizona's 10-8 win over San Francisco, helping break his own single-season record for strikeouts. Before Tuesday night it was 204. Now, it's 206 ... and climbing. The question, of course, is does anyone care beyond the general numerical fascination with baseball and records?

People tend to abhor strikeouts -- maybe because it seems like the ultimate failure not even being able to put the ball in play -- but really we have an abundance of evidence that shows they aren't really worse than any other kind of out. Enter Reynolds who, other than all the whiffs, is having a great season, with 43 home runs, 100 RBI and a .919 OPS. Maybe we're all just ready to move on. The Diamondbacks sure seem to be.

"So what?" Reynolds said when asked about the strikeouts. "So what?"
...
"Deep down inside, I'm sure it bothers him more than he likes to portray," manager A.J. Hinch said. "At the end of the day, he is 40-plus home runs and 100 RBIs. That's a productive season, for anyone to really focus on the strikeout record being reset. When that production is coming with the strikeouts, it's almost a moot point. We all want him to be a more productive player and strike out less, but when the production follows, it is hard to knock him."

In Their Own Words ...
"Edwin was just what the doctor ordered. We needed a big outing from him and we got it." -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland on Edwin Jackson, who pitched seven shutout innings, all with the score either tied 0-0 or 1-0 in Detroit's favor, to preserve his club's 2 1/2-game lead over the Twins in the AL Central. Jackson had posted a 6.03 ERA over his previous five starts, a rough stretch pitching coach Rick Knapp believes may have been caused by him tipping his pitches. Jackson and Knapp worked on the apparent problem this week, and it appears Detroit's No. 2 starter in the playoffs is rounding back into form.

Of course, the Tigers have to get there first, and Minnesota isn't making things easy on them. The Twins stayed right on their heels in the division with an 8-6 win against the White Sox.

Advance Scouting ...
The Yankees were the first team to clinch a playoff spot, but the Cardinals could become the first to clinch their division Wednesday night. St. Louis, which has a magic number of two, will send John Smoltz to the mound in Houston (8:05 PM ET), needing a victory and a Cubs loss to officially lock up the NL Central. Chicago is going for a three-game sweep of the Brewers in Milwaukee (8:05 PM ET) with spot starter Jeff Samardzija on the hill.

Starting Five: Bucs Are Bottoming Out originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Minnesota Moves On, Up

Andrew Johnson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cubs, Red Sox, Royals, Tigers, Twins, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Twins are still surging.

Minnesota shook off a loss to the Tigers Sunday that pushed it three games back in the AL Central and routed the White Sox 7-0 to cut Detroit's edge in the division to 2 1/2 games.

Twins starter Nick Blackburn pitched one of his best games of the season, tossing seven shutout innings and striking out six to pick up his first road win since the end of May.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"Being in a race like this makes it even more exciting," Blackburn said. "There's more pressure, but it makes us enjoy the wins even more."

From the Trainer's Room ...
Cubs wins leader Ted Lilly will miss his next scheduled start on Wednesday with tendinitis in his left shoulder. Jeff Samardzija will start in his place. Out of contention and closing in on mathematical elimination from the race, the team is being cautious with the left-hander, who has the lowest ERA of any Chicago starter at 3.02.

"If we needed him to pitch Wednesday, he would've pitched," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

Numbers Game ...
The Red Sox blew a chance to close to within four games of the Yankees in the AL East, and they did so in the ugliest fashion possible in a 12-9 loss to the Royals. Boston pitchers surrendered 11 walks in the defeat, the most the team has allowed in a game since giving up 13 in a 13-5 loss to the Yankees on Aug. 19, 2006 (during the infamous second Boston Massacre series that effectively knocked the Red Sox out of contention that year).

Kansas City hurlers allowed seven walks of their own, but their offense turned a 9-5 deficit into an 11-9 lead with a six-run sixth inning, the first time they have scored that many runs in a frame since Sept. 24, 2008. The Royals have won 11 of their last 14.

In Their Own Words ...
"Thank goodness for speed. That's a pretty routine double play ball for anyone else." -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy on pinch-hitter Fred Lewis, who beat out a potential double play at first with the bases loaded to help bring in the decisive run in San Francisco's 5-4 win over Arizona. The Giants are now four games back of the Rockies in the NL wild-card race.

Advance Scouting ...
With their showdown series with the Twins less than a week away, the Tigers will try to maintain their shrinking lead in the AL Central. Detroit sends the slumping Edwin Jackson to the mound against the Indians (7:05 PM ET) in Cleveland. Jackson, presumably the Tigers' No. 2 starter in the postseason should they qualify, is 2-2 over his last five starts, but he's posted a 6.03 ERA in that span.

Starting Five: Minnesota Moves On, Up originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Rolling With Dice-K

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Daisuke Matsuzaka has momentum.

The enigmatic Red Sox right-hander who spent three months on the disabled list is 2-0 since returning. He followed up six shutout innings against the Angels earlier this week by allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings against Baltimore Sunday.

Matsuzaka has a 2.38 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings in his return, further strengthening his case to be the fourth starter in Boston's playoff rotation when the postseason begins next month and showing how formidable the Red Sox can be when their pitching is rolling.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"When we throw quality starts we've been in pretty much every game," Boston catcher Jason Vartitek said. "It's a big part of how we win."

The Red Sox went 16-2 against the Orioles this season.

From the Trainer's Room ...
The Phillies' increasingly shallow bullpen could be down another pitcher. Brett Myers has soreness in the back of his right shoulder and will not accompany his club to Florida this week so he can have the injury examined in Philadelphia. Myers indicated to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that the injury is not serious:

Myers, reached by telephone, said, "I don't think it's real serious. I have some stiffness and tightness and they want me to go get it checked out."

Either way, the Phillies can ill afford to lose another piece of their relief corps.

Numbers Game ...
The Rays beat Roy Halladay for the fourth time this year Sunday, becoming the first team ever to hand that many losses to the Blue Jays ace in one season.

"Beating him four times in your life is tough," said Tampa Bay's Gregg Zaun, who spent five years in Toronto as Halladay's catcher. "Four times in one year is pretty amazing. He's unbelievable. He's by far the best in the game."

In Their Own Words ...
"We needed this one. You play here and the Twins get the first two, they sniff sweep. I've seen it a few times." -- Nate Robertson, who earned his second win of the year to help the Tigers avoid a sweep at the Metrodome. Detroit will now take a three-game -- instead of one-game -- lead over Minnesota into the final two weeks of the season. The Tigers host a four-game set with the Twins from Sept. 28-Oct. 1 that will likely decide the division.

Advance Scouting ...
It could be clinch day in Anaheim Monday, and it's not the Angels who can secure an October berth. The Yankees' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is one, and they'll take their first crack at officially qualifying for the postseason in Orange County. New York and Los Angeles will match left-handers (10:05 PM ET), with Andy Pettitte going for the Bronx Bombers against Joe Saunders for the Halos. Even if they lose, the Yankees could still clinch with a Rangers loss in Oakland. (10:05 PM ET).

Starting Five: Rolling With Dice-K originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Peavy Wins in Sox Debut

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Rangers, White Sox, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the White Sox may be out of the playoff race, but Jake Peavy still gave them something to get excited about. Peavy made his much-anticipated White Sox debut, pitching five effective innings to beat the Royals.

Peavy gave up three runs and his command was shaky, but he consistently threw his fastball in the low 90s. He threw 73 pitches, only 20 in his last two innings.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"Once you get out there, it's like riding a bike. It comes back to you," said Peavy. "You certainly are comfortable in that surrounding. I did some things well and some things not so well. I got a long way to go to be where I want to be."

Peavy had not been in a game since he hurt his ankle with the Padres on June 8. The White Sox got him in a shocking deal just before the July 31 deadline. Although he came back too late to help them get to the playoffs in 2009, he is signed through 2012.

From The Trainers' Room...
For the second game in a row, the Phillies' starter had to come out of the game with an injury. Fortunately for the Phillies, both pitchers say they will be OK. A day after J.A. Happ was pulled as a precaution because of a lingering side injury, Pedro Martinez came out with a neck injury. Although there may have been some concern that Martinez, who threw 130 pitches in his last outing, had been overworked, Martinez said that he actually tweaked his neck swinging the bat. He said his arm is fine.

By The Numbers...
Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder set the franchise record for RBI in a season with his 127th. Coincidentally, the man whose record he broke was in the ballpark. In the other dugout, actually. Astros manager Cecil Cooper had 126 RBI for the Brewers in 1983.

In Their Own Words...
"Wow," -- Rangers closer Frank Francisco, who could hardly believe the way his ninth inning unfolded in a victory Texas desperately needed. The Rangers led the Angels, 3-2, in the ninth, but the Angels loaded the bases with one out. Francisco went to 3-0 on Howie Kendrick, but he eventually got him to hit into a game-ending double play. The Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak and pulled within 6 1/2 games of the Angels. The Rangers have only 15 games left, but five of them are against the Angels, so they have a heartbeat. Barely.

Advance Scouting...
The Dodgers and Giants will meet for the final time this season (4:10 PM ET). The Giants, who can't afford to lose more than a couple games the rest of the way to have a realistic shot at the postseason, send Tim Lincecum to the hill against the Dodgers' Randy Wolf. The Dodgers' magic number for clinching a playoff spot is six. Depending on what the Marlins do on Sunday, the Dodgers could cut it to four.

Starting Five: Peavy Wins in Sox Debut originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: No Power Rangers Here

Jeff Fletcher — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Phillies, Rangers, Reds, Tigers, Twins, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Rangers could not have fallen out of the playoff race any more quietly than this. Not only have they been losing, but their bats have fallen silent. Including Friday night's 2-0 loss to the Angels, the Rangers have scored just one run in the past five games, a first in franchise history. The last team to score once in five games was the Braves in June 2007.

Scott Kazmir handed them a critical defeat on Friday. The Angels, who had been scuffling themselves on a trip to New York and Boston, came into Texas and pushed the Rangers a season-high 7 1/2 games back in the AL West. The Rangers trail Boston by seven games in the wild-card race.

From the Angels side, Kazmir seems to have turned around his season with the trade from the Rays to Angels. Kazmir had a 5.92 ERA with Tampa Bay, but he's got a 1.42 ERA in four starts with the Angels.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainers' Room...
The Phillies simply want to get through the rest of the regular season without anyone getting hurt, which is why they were being extra careful with rookie pitcher J.A. Happ on Friday night. Happ had been out of the rotation for two weeks with a strained side, and in the third inning of his return, he was pulled for what the team labeled "precautionary" reasons. Happ insisted he was OK. The Phillies also lost catcher Carlos Ruiz with a sprained left wrist. X-rays were negative, but the Phillies aren't sure when Ruiz will be back.

By The Numbers...
The Reds haven't been best in the National League at much, but in one respect they were perfect. Until Friday. The Reds had been the only team in the National League yet to blow a ninth-inning lead, winning all 57 games they led after eight, but the Marlins scored four times in the ninth to end that streak.

In Their Own Words...
"He just hit it absolutely perfect, as pure as you can hit it. If you hit great all the time, you hit .400 or .500, and nobody does that." -- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, on Matt Holliday's walk-off homer to beat the Cubs. Apparently Holliday has hit the ball perfect more than usual since he's joined the Cardinals. He's hit .356 with 13 homers and 49 RBIs in 50 games with St. Louis.

Advance Scouting...
The Tigers need Justin Verlander to step up and right the ship before the Twins get any closer. Verlander starts for Detroit in the second game of a three-game series at Minnesota (4:10 PM ET). The Tigers have lost eight of their past 11 and the Twins are within three games. It's the Tigers' smallest lead since Aug. 23.

Starting Five: No Power Rangers Here originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Cole Looks Like King Again

Andrew Johnson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cubs, Phillies, Tigers, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Cole Hamels is starting to look like the World Series MVP.

The left-hander, who was one of the biggest reasons the Phillies won a title last season, tossed eight innings of one-run ball and struck out 10 in a 4-2 win over the Nationals.

Hamels hasn't looked like the ace he was for Philadelphia last year, but his last five starts suggest he could be rounding into form at exactly the right time.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Hamels is 3-1 with a 1.43 ERA in those five turns and he has 38 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.

"I think you have to enjoy it," Hamels said. "Sometimes, the games get a little bit more meaningful. The fans know it, we know it. It's just going out there and doing what we know best."

From the Trainer's Room ...
Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley came out of Chicago's 7-4 loss to Milwaukee in the sixth inning with what he described as "knee inflammation." Bradley has had two surgical procedures on his left knee. So will he be back in the lineup Friday when the Cubs open a series with the rival Cardinals? The surly Bradley was little help.

"I got knee inflammation," he said. "I got two knee surgeries. That happens when you got knee surgery, in case you don't know. What else you got?"

How long will you be out?

"What else you got? Anything significant?"

This went on and on until Bradley turned his back, ending the interview.

Numbers Game ...
Since the Angels called up Howie Kendrick after a month-long stint in the minors, the second baseman is hitting .379. Kendrick homered and drove in the game-winning run as Los Angeles avoided a sweep in Fenway Park.

In Their Own Words ...
"By no means do I think we're tight -- you've got to give credit where credit is due," -- Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson after his team lost 9-2 to the Royals, trimming their lead over the Twins in the AL Central down to four games ahead of a critical weekend series in Minnesota. Detroit has six games left against the Twins, but, perhaps more fortunately, none with Kansas City. The Royals have beaten the Tigers in six of their last seven meetings.

Advance Scouting ...
The Rangers sit 6 1/2 games back of the Angels in the AL West, but still have six games left with the division leaders before the end of the season, starting Friday night (8:05 PM ET). In other words, Texas needs to be nearly perfect against Los Angeles to have any hope of reaching the playoffs. Tommy Hunter goes for the Rangers against Scott Kazmir, who has a 1.86 ERA in three starts for the Halos.

Starting Five: Cole Looks Like King Again originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Honoring Those Who Brought the Game to the Fans

Ed Price — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Phillies, Rangers, Reds, Royals, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
The names Hal McCoy and Ernie Harwell.

Both were honored at ballparks on Wednesday, and their absence from the game will be felt by fans in Cincinnati and Detroit.

Harwell, the long-time Tigers radio announcer, has inoperable, terminal cancer. So the team chose Wednesday night to honor him at Comerica Park, and after a video tribute in the third inning, he thanked the fans:

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"In my almost 92 years on this earth, the good Lord has blessed me with a great journey, and the blessed part of that journey is it's going to end here in the great state of Michigan.

"I deeply appreciate the great people of Michigan. I love their grit. I love the way they face life. I love the family values they have. And you Tiger fans are the greatest fans of all. No question about that.

"And I certainly want to thank you from the depth of my heart, for your devotion, your support, your loyalty and your love. Thank you very much and God bless you."

About 250 miles southwest, at Great American Ball Park, it was Hal McCoy Night.

Like Harwell, McCoy is in a wing of the Hall of Fame -- writers' instead of broadcasters'. McCoy has been the Reds beat writer for the Dayton Daily News for 37 years, but he is retiring after the season, another victim of the newspaper industry's short-sighted cutbacks.

In a nice touch, the Reds arranged for the Astros' Aaron Boone to catch McCoy's ceremonial first pitch. It was Boone, who when he was with the Reds, talked McCoy out of retiring after a stroke in his left eye damaged his vision.

McCoy stuck with it, and his writing and reporting didn't miss a beat.

There are no men in baseball classier than Hal McCoy and Ernie Harwell. So they will be missed.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Chan Ho Park, who has a 2.52 ERA in his 38 relief appearances for the Phillies, might be out for a while. Park left Wednesday's game with a strained left hamstring and said afterward he felt it "pop." It's another blow to the scrambled Philadelphia bullpen.

Numbers Game ...
The Rangers, who got just one hit Wednesday, have been shut out in three of their past four games -- scoring a grand total of one run. That's the franchise's worst four-game output since it moved from Washington to Texas. The last time any team scored one run over four games was in June 2007, when the Braves were shut in out three straight games, managed a run and then got shut out again.

In Their Own Words ...
"There's that feeling you can always do it because we've done it so many times. When guys have confidence, they are different players. When you have success in situations, you learn how to relax in those situations." -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose team got its 14th walk-off win of the year, the franchise's most since 1943

Advance Scouting ...
Zack Greinke could use a win for his Cy Young Award campaign (not that wins are the be-all and end-all, but they certainly help). Edwin Jackson needs to get on track by the time the playoffs start. The two right-handers square off today in Detroit (1:05 PM ET). Greinke leads the AL in ERA, WHIP, shutouts and fewest homers per nine innings, but in three of his past six starts he has allowed zero or one earned run and gotten a no decision. Jackson, meanwhile, has a 5.31 ERA over his past seven starts after starting out 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA.

Starting Five: Honoring Those Who Brought the Game to the Fans originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One

Ed Price — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Yankees are still fired up despite their large lead in the AL East.

After two Yankees pitchers hit Blue Jays batters in Tuesday's game, Toronto's Jesse Carlson threw behind Jorge Posada in the bottom of the eighth.

Posada glared, benches briefly emptied, but there were no punches. Yet.

Instead of letting it end there, or charging the mound, Posada waited until he walked and then scored a run to give Carlson a shove after he crossed home plate.

And then it was on.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Posada ended up on the bottom of the pile in the ensuing melee -- and the Yankees can't afford to have him hurt. (Posada missed most of last year, and the Yankees missed the playoffs.)

"He was just right there on the line to the dugout. We got carried away and hopefully that's the end of it," the 38-year-old Posada said. "I don't want my kids to see that. ... Fight in the middle of the field, benches clearing -- that's a bad example."

A suspension seems likely.

"As he ran past Carlson, he gave him a little shove with his elbow. It was very unsportsmanlike," [home plate umpire Jim] Joyce told a pool reporter. "It was a cheap shot."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi met with his team after the game to ask them to chill.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Jarrod Washburn, Detroit's big trade deadline pickup, had to come out after an inning against Kansas City because of a bad left knee.

"Shortly after the strikeout [to start the game], we could tell he was in pain," [manager Jim] Leyland said. "We'll see what happens, but it seems pretty obvious to me that, at this point, he's unpitchable."

The Tigers went on to lose for the sixth time in eight games, four of those losses have come to the last-place Royals.

Numbers Game ...
Heath Bell's ERA has gone up almost a full run in less than a week. On Tuesday he gave up the winning runs after blowing two straight saves. In those three games, he has given up seven hits and seven runs in three innings, so his ERA has gone from 1.98 to 2.90. If Bell blows his next save chance, he will be the first Padres closer to fail in three straight save opportunities since Craig Lefferts in 1990; Trevor Hoffman has never blown three straight.

In Their Own Words ...
"I felt great in batting practice, ran around great, and then the second pitch he threw me, I got off balance, landed on my front side a little too hard and it just grabbed,. I didn't want to make it worse. I've been making too much progress." -- Texas' Michael Young, who tried to return from a strained left hamstring but came out of the game against Oakland after one plate appearance

Advance Scouting ...
With a 2 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race, Colorado will try to avoid its sixth straight loss to San Francisco in the teams' final regular-season meeting (10:15 PM ET). Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa is 2-0 against the Giants this year, but in those two starts he has a 5.40 ERA. He faces Matt Cain, who in 17 career starts against Colorado has allowed opposing hitters to bat just .212.

Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Time to Count Marlins Out?

Andrew Johnson — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Angels, Athletics, Marlins, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That you can add the Marlins to the list of fringe contenders fading away with three weeks to go in the season.

Florida wasted an opportunity to gain on wild-card leading Colorado, which lost in San Francisco, in an 11-6 loss to the Cardinals. The Marlins fell behind 4-0 in the first, but managed to take a 6-4 lead by the fourth inning, only to squander that lead in large part due to Ricky Nolasco's five-inning, seven-run outing.

Poor starting pitching has been a big reason why Florida hasn't been able to make a run.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From the Palm Beach Post's Joe Capozzi:

The Marlins haven't had a starter pitch at least seven innings since Aug. 18, when Nolasco threw a complete game.

"For us to get back into this thing and go forward and get into the playoffs, we need to improve it right now, as soon as possible," [Marlins manager Fredi] Gonzalez said.

Florida is 5 1/2 games behind the Rockies with 18 left to play.

From the Trainer's Room ...
A severe fever forced the Astros to quarantine closer Jose Valverde in the team's clubhouse Sunday and also kept him from joining the club on the first day of its road trip in Cincinnati. Valverde had a temperature of 101 degrees over the weekend.

"They're treating him, and he has some type of virus," [Houston GM Ed] Wade said. "Hopefully it will run its course and he will be able to get here [Tuesday]."

Numbers Game ...
Believe it or not, Oakland's Brett Tomko is a 100-game winner. The journeyman, who has played for nine different teams, reached the milestone by throwing a five-hit shutout against the Rangers, dealing another blow to Texas' rapidly shrinking playoff hopes.

"We want to put ourselves in as good a position as possible and we haven't done that the last two days," [Rangers losing pitcher Scott] Feldman said. "Regardless, we're still in this thing. We just need to show the character we've shown all year and move on."

Texas is now 4 1/2 games back of Boston in the AL wild-card race. The shutout was just the second of Tomko's career and his first since 2004.

In Their Own Words ...
"Sleep is more tranquil, food tastes better and I like my dog a whole lot more." -- Rays manager Joe Maddon after his team avoided becoming the first team to lose 12 straight games the year after appearing in the World Series by beating the Orioles 8-4.

Advance Scouting ...
In a potential ALDS preview, the Angels head to Fenway Park for a meeting with the Red Sox (7:10 PM ET). Los Angeles' starter, John Lackey, has thrown back-to-back complete games and appears to be rounding into form, but his struggles in Boston -- he has a 6.34 career ERA there -- are well known. Lackey will take a backseat in the intrigue department to Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, though. The enigmatic Matsuzaka has an 8.23 ERA this season and hasn't appeared in a Boston uniform since June, but with a strong finish to the year, it could still be possible for him to work his way into the Red Sox playoff rotation.

Starting Five: Time to Count Marlins Out? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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