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In the Box Scores

I'll admit that I didn't watch any baseball last night, but still here is a quick recap of last night's action, straight from one of our Nation's free gifts to the world, daily box scores...

First, what we were looking forward to...

Rich Harden's performance? I think we should be pleased that he was able to get 7 innings out of his 99 pitches. In fact, Sweet Lou said just about the same thing after the game. - "[Harden] did a heck of a job," manager Lou Piniella said. "He maintained his velocity. We thought if we get seven we were going to be pleased." - I was also pleased that Carlos Marmol shut down the Astros in the 8th, and Kevin Gregg seems to pitch decently when I don't watch. Fine by me.
*~*~*~*~*

It looks as though we are in the last days of the Felix Pie Orioles Era. He has not been producing and cannot catch a break. Last night was his first start in three days, and he hasn't started back-to-back games since April 26th. In this dreadful performance, he struck out looking in the second inning and popped out a bunt attempt in the fourth. The game was called in the 6th inning, due to rain. Could Felix Pie be the person sent down when Matt Wieters gets called up?
*~*~*~*~*

Unfortunately, I didn't act on my instinct to bench Justin Masterson versus the Indians. He gave up 6 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. I'm not worried about him, but I thought that was a tough match up, especially since the Red Sox were short handed without Youkilis or Ellsbury.

In the Box Scores
*~*~*~*~*

It's official. I will never expect Carlos Silva's team to win one of his starts. Unless he is squaring off against Oil Can Boyd's team, I'll expect Silva's team to lose. Last night, Silva gave up 6 earned runs in 3 innings, and the Mariners failed to punish the Royals for employing and starting Sidney Ponson. Sir Sidney must have thought it was 2003 all over again as he threw 7 1/3, gave up only 1 run, and waddled away with his first victory of the season.

Now, some things we didn't think about but still happened...

After 1 1/2 innings, Joe Posnanski called a Johan Santana no-hitter versus the Phillies. He was close. Santana gave up only 2 hits in 7 innings. It seems to me that the way the Mets handle Santana, he would have to get his no-no in less than 120 pitches and with a comfortable lead. It is incredibly impressive to realize just how good Santana is. This is the 6th time in his career that he has won a game with a final score of 1-0.

*~*~*~*~*

The Brewers pounded the Reds early and late, with 5 runs in the 1st, 4 in the 2nd, and 5 more in the 9th inning, on their way to a 15-3 shellacking. Bronson Arroyo gave up the first nine runs and now has to carry around a 7.15 ERA until his next start. At least the five runs in the 9th were given up by backup shortstop, Paul Janish. Unfortunately for him, he probably has to carry his 45.00 ERA for the rest of his career. The lesson again: not everyone is as blessed as Nick Swisher.

*~*~*~*~*

Rockies flame thrower, Ubaldo Jimenez, probably gave the dinosaur, Randy Johnson, a flashback to what it was like to throw in the upper 90's. Ubaldo had very good results, going 7 innings, allowing 1 run, on 5 hits, with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. Randy Johnson, on the other hand, gave up 7 earned runs, with two home runs, including Matt Murton's first of the season. Hey, Matt Murton is on the Rockies. Cool!

A Walk in the Park

Was our anticipation to Tuesday's matinees rewarded with results matching up to our prognostications? I doubt it. However, our expectations were exceeded by a few memorable surprises. Let's recap.

What Happened to Roy Oswalt?
The first thing I saw yesterday morning was that Oswalt was facing the Nationals on a getaway day matinee. I thought Astros fans should be salivating at the idea of Roy-O throwing up seven or eight goose eggs on the board.
Instead, their ace gave up 4 earned runs before a bone bruise on his right index finger forced him to leave the game in the top of the 6th. What's wrong with Oswalt? Is he going to be okay? At least, with all his injury history, he hasn't really had debilitating arm problems. I am still giving him the benefit of the doubt that he will right the ship and become a force again, but that benefit has a propensity to expire unexpectedly.

One of yesterday's memorable surprises: the Astros are actually still tied with the Nationals, as the game was postponed due to rain in the 11th.
3rd Place Blue Jays?A Walk in the Park
The way Canada's club continues to develop impactful rookie starters could potentially save J.P. Ricciardi's job. I think that if they were to leapfrog just one of the preseason perceived "Top 3" (Red Sox, Rays, & Yankees), that would be a positive enough accomplishment that they Blue Jays would have hope that in 2010, they could be next year's 2008 Rays! In fact, it might even give the Orioles hope that they can make the playoffs in 2010.

Brett Cecil posted promising numbers with six hits allowed, two runs (one earned), six strikeouts, and zero walks, in six innings. Anthony Reyes battled, allowing three runs in his six innings of work. Cecil was in line for a win, in his Major League debut, but his bullpen blew it. At least the offense came back and vultured a win for Brian Wolfe, in his first appearance of the season.

Matt LaPorta had a rough day. 0 for 3 with a run scored and a strikeout (looking). In his first plate appearance, LaPorta took one for the team, from Cecil, and later scored the first run of the game.

The Legend of Bobby Scales
Tim Lincecum let me down yesterday, but it was my fault. Why did I expect him to tie a Major League record for 20 strikeouts? Was it because of weather similarities to Kerry Wood's 20 strikeout day eleven years ago? That had a lot to do with it. I didn't realize until right now that I was off by one day. Kerry's masterpiece was on May 6, 1998. Maybe Rich Harden can strikeout 20 Astros, just like Kerry Wood did eleven years ago today. I would settle for 6 or 7 solid innings with less than 95 pitches.

A Walk in the ParkAnyway, the delightful surprise that yesterday was all about is the Major League debut of Bobby Scales, a man that people would call, for literal and obvious reasons, "a career minor leaguer". In an uncanny form of symmetry, this happens to be Scales' eleventh year in professional baseball.

Some of his minor league numbers: 1,013 games / 3,303 at bats / .375 OBP / .432 SLG

According to some reports, his questionable defense is one of the reasons he never advanced to MLB until now.

According to Bob Brenly, his versatility to play around the infield is one of the reasons he was called up to replace Carlos Zambrano on the 25-man roster.

In my opinion, the .432 slugging is why he hasn't had anyone carrying his luggage until now.

None of that matters, though. The special part of this story is that Bobby Scales is no longer a "career minor leaguer". He's had his cup of coffee, and he's had his moment in the sun. He got a hit off of freaking Tim Linecum!

I didn't know Bobby Scales was a position player until after the game started. In the bottom of 5th inning, Scales inside-outed a fastball down the left field line. This sparked an unexpected 2-out rally. Number 8 batter, Koyie Hill, drew a walk, and Sean Marshall drilled an RBI single to straight away center field. The outfield defense obviously shaded the opposing pitcher away, so the shot up the middle landed in the outfield grass. The next thing that came to mind was that Bobby Scales already looks better than Aaron Miles.

I love that Scales' first hit came off the reigning Cy Young winner. It feels like a shame that he is expected to be sent back down when in a couple of days, when they need a pitcher to step in for Big Z. At least no-one will ever be able to take this moment away from Mr. Scales.

AL East UnRivalry
Does anyone at your office have Rays/O's fever this week? Haven't people been talking about how if the Blue Jays finish in 3rd place this season that the Orioles will have enough confidence to make the playoffs next year?

Felix Pie did not even play in the game, and the rest of yesterday's match up between the Rays and the Orioles went pretty much as expected.

Matt Garza continues to impress, throwing 8 innings, giving up 3 runs (2 earned), on 4 hits and 2 walks. He was touched for homers by Brian Roberts and Greg Zaun, but survived.
A Walk in the Park
Koji Uehara pitched better than his number would indicate. He struck out eight, only walked one, but he gave up 7 hits and 6 runs (3 earned).

Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and Adam Jones continue to shine on the field and in the box scores.

Extras in Seattle
Vicente Padilla and Erik Bedard engaged in a pitcher's duel at Safeco Field. Bedard and the Mariners had a 1-0 lead that could have held up if not for the heroics of Nelson Cruz who tied it up with a solo shot in the 7th.

With the game tied 1-1, a fellow by the name of Denny Stark came in to pitch the Top of the 10th for the Mariners. He promptly gave up six runs, capped off by a Grand Slam to Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Perhaps the Mariners need a healthy Brandon Morrow to be serious competitors.

PTI Big Finish Style...
  • Rick Porcello's box score looks terrific! 7 innings, 0 runs, 4 hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
  • Edinson Volquez's numbers are even more impressive: 8 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts. If he pitched in a neutral or pitchers park, forget it.
  • Colby Rasmus went 1 for 3, with an RBI double. He also had an outfield assist, nailing Raul Ibanez at second. Is Rasmus starting to make a difference?
  • Jeff Weaver surprised me by getting good results. I was not surprised that Max Sherzer pitched admirably well and the Dodgers still won.

Quickly, looking forward to tonight...A Walk in the Park

  • Can Rich Harden strike out 20 Astros? Or, at least, can he match Rick Porcello's line from last night.
  • Felix Pie is starting. Can he hit Kevin Slowey and stay in the big leagues?
  • Justin Masterson is facing a real challenge against Cleveland tonight.
  • Two of the worst starting pitchers in all of baseball are sharing the hill in Kansas City tonight. Carlos Silva and Sidney Ponson. I never thought that I would expect Carlos Silva's team to win a game.
Posted by Bobby Aguilera at

Tuesday Matinees

Here are a few things that I will be looking for in today's action.

12:35pm EST
Houston Astros @ Washington NationalsTuesday Matinees
Roy Oswalt vs Scott Olsen

I'm looking for Roy-O to have a very good game. He was winless in April, but hasn't pitched that badly. In his last start, a 97 minute rain delay knocked him out after the first inning, so I expect his arm to be rested and ready to perform. I have sky high expectations for Oswalt, when I think of his track record and competitiveness, combined with the expected production from a lethargic Nationals team looking forward to a long flight to Los Angeles.

12:37pm EST
Cleveland Indians vs Toronto Blue Jays
Anthony Reyes vs Brett Cecil

Six weeks ago, I thought Anthony Reyes was going to be good. I thought he was one of those guys who was starting the year as a #5 starter who would elevate himself to #2 or 3 position on his staff. Now, I'm convinced this will not happen. He doesn't strike enough guys out, walks too many, and gives up too many home runs.
Tuesday Matinees

Brett Cecil is a 22-year-old left-hander, making his Major League debut. At first thought, I didn't expect much from him because it feels like the Blue Jays shouldn't be able to pull out so many good young pictures from their system. After looking at his minor league numbers, however, I think he can be very successful at the Major League level. In his minor league career (185 innings, he has given up "only" 7 home runs, has a 9.4 K/9ip ratio, and a 1.18 WHIP.

The other thing to look for is if Matt LaPorta will take Cecil deep. LaPorta is supposed to at least start versus lefties. He hit his first Major League home run yesterday, and facing a southpaw today, who happens to be making his major league debut, makes me think that he'll feel right at home in the batters box again.

2:20pm EST
San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs
Tim Lincecum vs Sean Marshall

Tim Lincecum is pitching a day game at Wrigley Field. I think he might strike out 20 guys.

Tuesday MatineesThe other thing I want to look at is Pablo Sandoval. I want to see if his approach at the plate will bring up some wonderful Randall Simon flashbacks.

The Cubs are a disaster. Maybe I am more anxious than I should be, but I still do not see a bullpen. Sean Marshall needs to at least get into the 6th inning because that bullpen will deteriorate rapidly if they get overused. Marmol pitched yesterday, and given his recent struggles, I'd like to give him this afternoon off. Maybe Marshall can pitch six and Samardzija can throw an old-school three innings of relief.

4:08pm EST
Baltimore Orioles @ Tampa Bay Rays
Koji Uehara vs Matt Garza

I'm looking to see if Koji Uehara is good enough to start every five days. Of course, if he's not, that is a big problem for the O's because he is at least better than Adam Eaton and Mark Hendrickson. These Orioles have a horrible rotation and a terrible bullpen. I think the bullpen will be much better if they can actually get someone to close games, and a lights out 8th inning guy. George Sherrill is a very good reliever, but he should really be used as an incredible LOOGY who can occasionally throw to a few righties.
This also may be one of my last chances to see Felix Pie starting in a Major League uniform.Tuesday Matinees He, of course, was going to make all Cubs fans forget about the failures of Corey Patterson and missed opportunities with Lou Brock. Instead, he gets a chance to remind Orioles fans of the failures of Corey Patterson. I hope they keep throwing Pie out there until for at least another month. He has the "tools" to be successful and is too fast to be given up on. Lastly, I haven't checked the UZR numbers, but his defense is a plus. His range factor is above average.

Will Matt Garza maintain the roll he was on last time out? He pitched 7 2/3 with 1-hit, 1-walk, and 10 strike outs against the mighty Boston Red Sox.
4:40pm EST
Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners
Vicente Padilla vs Erik Bedard

We dropped Josh Fields and picked up Adrian Beltre in our roto league last night. I didn't want to give up on Fields Tuesday Matineesand may pick him up if he shows a glimmer of getting hot. The fact that he was hit by a pitch in the arm was the last straw for us, and we are thrilled that Beltre was available. I cannot believe someone gave up on Beltre so soon. He has no home runs, and in a contract year, I could see him still topping 20 bombs for the season. Looking at this from a team dynamic, I find it exciting for the Mariners that they have been so successful early this year with almost no offensive production from 3rd base. As a team, they are doing it with pitching, defense, and (I'm guessing) timely hitting.

I feel that every Erik Bedard performance is a statement game for Seattle. If he is great, they will be competitive. If he reverts back to being the sourpuss who doesn't want to compete, the M's are going to struggle on days King Felix doesn't pitch. But, having two guys at the top of the rotation being successful has a way of permeating confidence throughout the pitching staff and lineup.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The rest of the games are night games. In a P.T.I. Big Finish kind of way, there are the things that interest me the most tonight...
  • Twins @ Detroit. Let's go Rick Porcello!!
  • Edinson Volquez @ Florida. The Marlins have a nice lineup, but I want to see if Volquez can dominate in a pitcher's park like Joe Robbie.Tuesday Matinees
  • Philadelphia @ St. Louis. Rick Ankiel face planted into a wall last night. I'm thinking that if he needs a few days to get the cobwebs out, this could open the door to regular at bats for Colby Rasmus. Is he going to perform like Jay Bruce, or not?
  • Arizona @ Dodgers. I still get excited to see Max Sherzer. He's one of our favorites. Jeff Weaver, on the other hand, hasn't been one of our favorites since he was on Detroit about three lifetimes ago.

Enjoy the games, go Cubs!

Monthly Predictions, May 1

We thought it could be fun to do a monthly revisit of our season predictions. (Not to mention that gimmicks like these are some of the easier ways to get columns started.)

For the record, we will stick with our Opening Day predictions, when it comes to evaluating how we did at the end of the year. This is more or less a "fun" exercise to check the pulse of the league and see what we believe at different points throughout the season.

April has had its share of surprises, disappointments, inspirational moments, and a bevy of fresh faced debuts. As we did a month ago, we'll break it down by division.

AL EastMonthly Predictions, May 1
Current Standings
Boston Red Sox (14-8)
Toronto Blue Jays (15-9)
NY Yankees (12-10)
Baltimore Orioles (9-13)
Tampa Bay Rays (9-14)
Updated Prediction...
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

- Boston still looks rock solid. What a pitching staff. In fact, they could handle losing Dice-K, Brad Penny, and even Josh Beckett (who suddenly forgot how to pitch) because Bowden & Bucholz are wasting bullets in Pawtucket, while John Smoltz is resting his arm at extended spring training. I think that Michael Bowden is one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball because of the speed, movement, and location of his stuff, combined with the deceptive delivery and obvious physical tools. Frankly, I'm not sure he gets much more of an opportunity than Masterson got last year, which seems odd since at least 29 other teams in baseball are starving for pitching. Just three days ago, I told a friend that I was glad I had picked the Yankees to finish 3rd because "they stink". They really were stinking it up, with a 9-10 record, but that was before they got back-to-back quality performances from Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. If they can get solid innings from those two young guys, along with in-their-prime Sabathia & Burnett, and the unflappable veteran, Andy Pettite, they will make the playoffs. The real questions in this division are if the Blue Jays are for real, and if the Rays are in line for a disappointing year in between where they finished the last two years. I'm sticking with the Rays at least through May, but wouldn't be surprised if the Jays leapfrog over them in my June 1 predictions.

AL Central
Current StandingsMonthly Predictions, May 1
Kansas City Royals (12-10)
Detroit Tigers (11-10)
Chicago White Sox (11-10)
Minnesota Twins (11-11)
Cleveland Indians (8-14)
Updated Prediction...
Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals
Chicago White Sox

- Here we go again. I still do not feel confident picking anyone in this division. On Opening Day, we thought the Twins had a chance, but they could suffer too much from missing Joe Mauer. Well, Mauer is scheduled to come back today and they are only one game out of first place. So, I'm going with Gardenhire's boys to get to the top of the division. I like Detroit for 2nd because it looks like Verlander is back, they got the better end of the Matt Joyce for Edwin Jackson trade, Porcello still looks like he belongs, the bullpen is starting to come together, and Miguel Cabrera really is the Pujols of the American League. The Royals have been a great surprise and have heard whispers that they are "the next Tampa Bay". I don't really see that because they don't have anything near the lineup that the Rays had last year.

AL WestMonthly Predictions, May 1
Current Standings
Seattle Mariners (13-9)
Texas Rangers (10-11)
LA Angels (9-12)
Oakland A's (8-11)
Updated Prediction...
Seattle Mariners
Oakland A’s
Los Angeles Angels
Texas Rangers

- This division has become a complete cluster ____. I think each of these teams is going to have a better 2010 than 2009, but someone has to finish on top this year. Am I really picking the Mariners? Am I that gullible that about 20 games are going to skew my beliefs so much? I guess so. The reasons I feel okay about this updated prediction is that King Felix and Erik Bedard look like the best 1-2 punch in the division, their outfield defense is the best in the game, Rob Johnson behind the plate throws out a lot of baserunners, and they have the financial ability to make trades and bring in more help if they are competitive before the trade deadline.

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez, Mariners
AL R.O.Y.: Matt Wieters, Orioles
AL Manager: Don Wakamatsu, Mariners

NL EastMonthly Predictions, May 1
Current Standings
Florida Marlins (14-8)
Philadelphia Phillies (11-9)
Atlanta (10-11)
NY Mets (9-12)
Washington Nationals (5-16)
Updated Prediction...
Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals

- This is the only division where our predictions didn't change from opening day. Some subtle differences in our opinions include the fact that the Phillies have been disappointing, the Mets have been almost awful, and the Marlins have been streaky, with flashes of brilliance. Jimmy Rollins has yet to get going for the Phillies, but that is only a matter of time. The Mets, besides Santana, cannot pitch which is not conducive with winning a division. However, I think the Wilpons desperately want to have a good product on the field, so they'll make changes in a few weeks if they have to. I could still see Bobby Cox and the Braves make a run, especially after Tommy Hanson joins the rotation. Josh Johnson looks like a very strong Cy Young candidate for the Marlins, and if they can get some more help in the bullpen to go along with improved offense from guys like Jeremy Hermida, Cameron Maybin, and the impressively powerful Jorge Cantu, anything can happen.

NL Central
Current StandingsMonthly Predictions, May 1
St. Louis Cardinals (16-7)
Milwaukee Brewers (12-10)
Pittsburgh Pirates (11-10)
Cincinnati Reds (11-10)
Chicago Cubs (10-11)
Houston Astros (9-13)
Updated Prediction...
Chicago Cubs
St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros

- My opinions here haven't changed much, except for the fact that the Cardinals are actually good and the Cubs, right now, are terrible. They do not look like a winning club. Sure, they have some thunder in the lineup and some solid arms in the rotation, but the bullpen and depth are humongous question marks. Let me take that back. Depth is a question mark, but the bullpen is a disaster. I cannot even stand the sight of Kevin Gregg. With all of these problems, why do we still have the Cubs at the top? I think things can change. They can certainly get hot. Their MVP, Aramis Ramirez, has been out for quite a few games this year, but when he plays, he rakes. They can still trade for more pitchers. Another starter would really help the bullpen by getting Sean Marshall in there and hopefully moving Neal Cotts as far away from the team as possible.

The rest of the division screams .500 at best, and it pains me to put the Astros in last place since some of our more loyal readers are Astros fans. That being said, I reserve the right to not be surprised if they are in contention after winning 35 out of 40 games in August/September.

NL West
Current StandingsMonthly Predictions, May 1
Los Angeles Dodgers (15-8)
San Diego Padres (11-11)
San Francisco Giants (10-10)
Arizona Diamondbacks (9-13)
Colorado Rockies (8-12)
Updated Prediction...
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
San Diego Padres

- I've learned in the past four weeks to remember that Sandy Alderson, Kevin Towers, and Grady Fuson know much more about this game than I ever will. The Padres are much better that what I called "the worst team in baseball". Still, I think this month could have been the aberration and they will still finish in last place; we'll see. The Rockies and D'backs look flawed and unhealthy losing Jeff Francis and Brandon Webb, respectively, for some time. The Giants look much improved and can definitely pitch, but I think this will be a division that is settled early because the Dodgers will run away with it.

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana, Mets
NL R.O.Y.: Dexter Fowler, Rockies
NL Manager: Tony La Russa, Cardinals (yuck!)

Postseason Predictions
NLDS
Phillies over Cubs
Dodgers over Cardinals
NLCS
Dodgers over Phillies
ALDS
Red Sox over Mariners
Yankees over Twins
ALCS
Red Sox over Yankees

2009 World Series
Red Sox over Dodgers

Getaway Day Afternoon Notes

As a quick summary of the rest of last night's game... the Cubs cruised to an 11-3 win... Zambrano hit the 17th home run of his career... Tom Gordon pitched a perfect Top of the 9th, retiring the Cubs on 9 pitches. I didn't know he was on the Diamondbacks. Heck, I didn't know he was still in the league.
Getaway Day Afternoon Notes
I'm currently watching the Tigers and Yankees, with a wonderful pitching matchup. Our darling, Rick Porcello, is facing off against Joba Chamberlain.

With this being getaway day around the league, there have already been several afternoon results of note...

In another really good matchup, Johan Santana and the Mets hosted Josh Johnson and the Marlins. Johan outpitched Johnson a little and left with a 3 - 2 lead. Getaway Day Afternoon NotesUnfortunately, for the Mets, JJ Putz did his best Aaron Heilman impersonation by walking the first two batters, leading to a 4 - 3 Marlins win.

The Diamondbacks exacted their revenge on the Cubs with a 10 - 0 shellacking. Doug Davis threw 7 innings of 2-hit ball, as Ryan Dempster, Carlos Marmol, and Kevin Gregg were charged with 10 earned runs. Coming back from a few days off due to injury, Carlos Marmol had an absolutely debilitating day for any fantasy owners who activated him. He pitched 1/3 of an inning, walked 4 guys, and they all scored. His season ERA is now 6.75. I really hope he's going to be okay because he's the only "good" reliever the Cubs have. This is starting to be a very big concern. Seriously, no-one in that bullpen has been any good. How can you win 90-something games with that bullpen? You probably can't.

The Angels won at Baltimore. We were pleased to see Kendry Morales hit a big homerun for the halos. One of my most memorable experiences in Portland was when Kendry Morales came to town.Getaway Day Afternoon Notes Being the son of a Cuban immigrant makes it so I always check out the Cuban ballplayers, Alexei, Yunel, Kendry, Dayan Viciedo, etc. Anyway, in this game between the Portland Beavers and the Salt Lake Bees, Morales hit a home run from both sides of the plate. The second one came from the right handed side and bounced back into left field. I - becoming a fan for a moment - yelled at Beavers' left fielder, Termell Sledge, to toss me the ball, which he did. Once I came to my senses, the ball ended up going to the child of one of our corporate sponsors, so at least there was a happy ending.

Yovani Gallardo really won a pitching battle. Not only did he pitch Getaway Day Afternoon Noteseight sparkling innings, with 2 hits, 1 walk, and 11 strikeouts, but he also hit a solo home run in a game that ended with a 1 to 0 final score. Incredible.

Huston Street got his second save of the season as the Rockies beat the Padres. We were pleased to see Todd Helton and Henry Blanco hit home runs.

Cubs Live Bloggin

I’ve always enjoyed a running diary of live games from writers like Bill Simmons and the Deadspin.com guys. So, as I get ready to watch my first Cubs’ game in over a week, here is my attempt to be a homeless person’s Ken Tremendous.


Pregame

Pitching matchup: Carlos Zambrano vs Yusmeiro Petit


Bob Brenly just called Petit a 5-inning pitcher. I respectfully disagree. In fact, I had a backup waiver claim to pick up Petit for today’s game because I think he’ll do well against the depleted Cubs lineup. They don’t have Aramis or Derek Lee. I didn’t get him because a higher priority claim was executed, for David Aardsma. I’m dropping Aardsma tonight, but not sure whom I’m getting as we have two or three waiver requests. (More information available, upon request.)


I didn’t know how bad the lineup would look, but it is horrible:


Alfonso Soriano, LF

Ryan Theriot, SS

Kosuke Fukudome, CF

Micah Hoffpauir, 1b

Milton Bradley, RF

Mike Fontenot, 3b

Koyie Hill, C

Aaron Miles, 2b

Carlos Zambrano, P


I think Zambrano should be batting in the top four of this lineup, and I would like to predict right now that Bradley will go 0 for 3, with a walk.


Top of 1st…

Soriano swings at the first pitch. Ugh. Sometimes, he’s so infuriating. He almost hit it out, but as someone in

my life likes to say, “Almost doesn’t count”.


Fukudome draws a walk, getting cheers from the Tabata’s Cougars faithful.


Len Kasper just announced that Aramis will not play this series, but Carlos Marmol is available after sitting out a few games.


Fukudome tried to steal second and was thrown out by about five steps and a slide. Boo.


Bottom of 1st…

The camera focused on Bradley, while they showed the Cubs defensive alignment. He looked focused; maybe he’ll play well.


Felipe Lopez drives a 3-1 pitch over Fukudome in deep Center, for a leadoff double.


Former Cub, Augie Ojeda is up with no-one out and Lopez on second. This guy’s never been much of a hitter, but that is typical for a former Cub who could turn into a Cub killer. Ojeda made Big Z throw at least seven pitches, grounded out to Theriot, and moved the runner to 3rd.


Zambrano stinks right now. He just walked Chad Tracy to put runners on the corners.


Kasper called the next batter, Mark Reynolds, a strikeout candidate. Bob Brenly followed up saying that he likes Zambrano’s “pace”. Yeah, Carlos, keep working at a good pace while you allow base runners and get your pitch count up. Jeeze.


Carlos goes 3-1 on Reynolds and has now gone 3-0 or 3-1 on every batter. Good pace, though.


On a full count, the Cubs barely were able to turn a 6-4-3 double play. Awesome! Now, I “hate” Aaron Miles, but if there is one thing I’ve seen him do well, it’s turn the double play. That’s the second time I’ve seen him do it well this year, which is also the second time I’ve been pleased with him.


Top of 2nd…

Hoffpauir gets a new life, as he was up last inning with an 0-2 count, when Fukudome got thrown out stealing. This time, on an 0-2 count, he hits the ball about 401 feet to deep center field, in front of the 407 ft sign; one out.


Milton Bradley is Yusmeiro Petit’s first strikeout victim, missing a breaking ball by about a foot. He’s 0 for 1.


To end a quick inning, Petit gets Mike Fontenot to fly out to the left field warning track.


Bottom of 2nd…

The warning track is getting a workout, as Conor Jackson drives a deep fly out to center.


Tabata’s Cougar, Chris Young, steps into the box and strikes out looking at a hard slider. That was Big Z’s 1,200th strikeout of his career, placing him 7th all time for the Cubs. It’s amazing for me to hear that number because I remember seeing Zambrano come up as a middle reliever.


Top of 3rd…

I got kicked out of the bedroom because I guess my typing was a little annoying… can’t blame anyone for feeling that way.


Anyway, with one out, Miles and Zambrano both singled ahead of a 3-run homer by Alfonso Soriano. Bob Brenly showed another example of being a complete company man for the Cubs, as he claimed that the concern of Soriano batting leadoff is “overblown” because after the first inning, he can often come up with runners on base. The problem with this argument is that everyone should know that guys who bat 3rd, 4th, 5th, or even 6th, get to bat with runners on base more often that guys who bat 1st.


Theriot drew a base on balls, and Fukudome is at Aces Wild… so, the Cubs have something going. On a 2-1 count, Fukudome drops a pop up into the Bermuda Triangle of CF, RF, and 2b. I tell ya, Steve, these Cubs could surely win the Pacific Coast League title, if they were all in Iowa.


Speaking of Iowa, our cleanup hitter, Micah Hoffpauir, comes up and as a typed the beginning of this sentence, he grounded into an inning-ending double play.


Bottom of 3rd…

I’m usually a big believer that long innings and running the bases can take a lot out of a pitcher. I’m actually not worried about Zambrano right now because he was on the bases early in the inning, had plenty of time to rest during the latter part of the inning, and he didn’t really run because he singled and was promptly knocked in with Soriano’s homer.


Future phenom, Justin Upton, comes to the plate. I think he’s going to be incredible. He has some flaws in his game, but it looks like he will eventually do everything really, really well.


Yusmeiro Petit is 2 for 37 in his career. Make that 2 for 38, as he flares out to Aaron Miles.


A 2-out rally has started as Lopez and Ojeda hit back-to-back 2-out singles, runners on 1st and 2nd. Brenly and Kasper are trying to put everyone in Chicago to sleep by talking about how some pitchers are quick to home, with a runner on first, while other pitchers have a high leg kick and take longer.

Threat over: Chad Tracy weakly grounds into a fielder’s choice.


Top of 4th…

Hey, Milton Bradley has exceeded my expectations with a leadoff single to right field. As Bob Brenly puts it, “he golfed it out to right field. Sometimes you just have to go down and get it.”


Hey Hey! Mike Fontenot hammers a pitch into the Bank One Ballpark swimming pool area, for a 2-run home run. 5 – 0 Cubbies. This is extremely irresponsible, and I do not mean to slander, but I think Fontenot is a candidate for a 50-game suspension. (Shhhh)


Koyie Hill lines the Cubs’ seventh base hit into center field. Maybe Bob Brenly was right that Petit is a five inning pitcher. I’m glad that I didn’t pick him up. Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don’t make, phew.


I’m sorry. Aaron Miles just looks horrible. I guess I shouldn’t apologize; Jim Hendry should, because Miles’ career numbers look horrible, too.


Jon Rauch is warming up in the bullpen, for the D’backs. I did not realize that he was a long reliever. What I do remember about him is how Kenny Williams cut him from the White Sox because he left a game early, taking his own form of transportation, when he didn’t want to remain with the club. Kenny Williams made a wonderful statement that even though this kid was talented, the Sox were not going to put up with an attitude like that. The White Sox went on the win the World Series, and Rauch wound up being a National and Diamondback, advantage Kenny Williams.


As Carlos Zambrano digs into the batter’s box, Kasper predicts that he’s going to try to hit a ball one thousand feet. Can we please get Dewayne Staats back? Zambrano proceeded to roll out to second base, as he jogged to first.


Soriano was pitched around, until he walked, and Theriot knocked in the Cubs’ sixth run on a single to center. Petit’s night is done, and we will see MLB’s tallest player of all time in 6’ 11’’ Jon Rauch.

Fukudome is up, with Deuces Wild, and a chance to do some damage for Tabata’s Cougars. Remember, it’s never a blowout in fantasy. (Sorry!) Okay, full count, runners on the corners… and… foul ball… and Ball 4! Alright, bases loaded for the ninth Cub to bat this inning, Micah Hoffpauir.


I don’t mean to make fun of Hoffpauir. He’s just unproven. Sadly, I do happen to believe that he is actually a better hitter than Derek Lee. On the seventh pitch of the at bat (at least), Hoffpauir hooks the ball into right field and the Cubs go station to station. 7 – 0 Cubs, and Milton Bradley is up with the bases loaded. Inning over, as Bradley jogs to first during a groundout to the second baseman.


Bottom of 4th…

Let’s see if Zambrano cacn settle down, with a seven run lead, and throw some strikes. I guess not. ON a 2-0 count, he gives up a ground rule double to Mark Reynolds.


Following a Conor Jackson groundout, Chris B. Young hits an RBI double to give both the D’backs and the Tabata Cougars an RBI. 7 – 1 Cubs.


Esmerling Vasquez is warming up for Arizona. Esmerling is his first name.


The camera just focused in on an older Cubs fan with a sign asking his son to send him money. Of course, we are used to seeing signs at college games with kids asking their parents for money. You gotta love Arizona retirees!


Zambrano just made Justin Upton look really bad on a 2-1 slider. Is Upton good enough that he was setting up Big Z? Maybe, but I don’t think he was doing that this time. He promptly flied out to Fukudome, inning over.


Top of 5th…

1 out, Koyie Hill on 1st base, and Aaron Miles hits a fly ball. What do you think happened? Anyone? Any guesses? Right. 2 out, Koyie Hill on 1st base…


Carlos Zambrano proceeds to hammer a pitch to deep right-center field, for his twentieth career double. 8 – 1 Cubs.


Soriano gets jammed, but flares it to center. 9 – 1.


Bottom of 5th…

Middle infielder, Josh Wilson, was just called up when Stephen Drew was placed on the DL. His first at bat of the year is a chance to pinch hit for Rausch, and he strikes out.


Booooring.


Lopez and Ojeda make some quick outs, for Zambrano’s easiest inning.


In Little League, there is a slaughter rule, and I think I’m going to institute one for my first running diary. After all, this game is not so compelling and it is a late, west coast game, while I’m in New York on a Tuesday night. If you enjoyed this post, please let me know so I can do another one. If I don’t hear from anyone, I’ll probably do another one anyway, but I’d feel a lot better if at least one person tells me they enjoyed some of this.

Sunday Morning Musings

Let's turn back the clock about nine days. I just got back from Chicago two Friday's ago. That evening, I was about to leave the house to pick up some take out we'd ordered. While getting my stuff together (shoes, wallet, keys, etc) and glancing at the TV, I saw Sheffield step up to the plate at Citi Field.

Gary Sheffield is amazing, and I had a feeling. I was about to turn off the TV since the food should have been ready by then, when I though "maybe". I had a feeling Sheffield would join the 500 home run club then and there. It was a long at bat. He fouled off a pitch that he hammered down the left field line. After what seemed like ten minutes, as I was trying to avoid the distraction of my responsibility, Gary Sheffield got a pitch up and tomahawked it out and over the left field wall.

I often joke in a Clark Griswold sort of way that live sports are "living history". I'll say that about any live sporting event in which I'm mildly interested. Sunday Morning MusingsIn the case of someone joining the 500 home run club, it at least used to be historical. One of the shameful repercussions of the Cream & Clear era is how milestones like this are cheapened.

I like Gary Sheffield, but I don't really hope he makes the Hall of Fame. My feeling is that if he were to get in the Hall, it could grease the wheels for that scumbag liar, Barry Bonds, to get in.

Remember, Barry Bonds allegedly recommended and supplied "The Cream" to Sheffield during the offseason they worked out together. Sunday Morning Musings Wouldn't it be something if Bonds got into the Hall after voters' opinions started lightening up because a "borderline" guy like Sheffield got in? Bonds would be getting rewarded indirectly for being a pusherman.

Regardless of what Gary Sheffield did or did not put in or on his body, he will always be one of the most fearsome right-handed hitters in my lifetime. Manny Ramirez is probably the best. Who else? Albert Belle? Rickey Henderson? Frank Thomas, in his first few years, for sure. Bo Jackson? No, Bo struck out way too much.

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Joakim Soria. Coming back on Monday? Who's their closer, if needed? Juan Cruz would be our pick. I'd LOVE to see Farnsworth get the first chance, if only to read Joe Posnanski's thoughts afterwards.

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Gordon Beckham. Sunday Morning MusingsThis guy is either the next Ty Griffin, or he's going to be a very good Major Leaguer. I think he's better than Ty Griffin was twenty years ago, but Ty's minor league career OBP of .366 makes me wonder how he never played a game above Double A.

Looking at Beckham's Baseball Cube page, I see their scouting report (on a scale to 100) has Power: 97, Contact: 75, and Patience: 81. That's pretty solid for a 22 year old.

Impatient White Sox fans want to see Beckham playing on the South Side right now, and I can certainly understand why. The more important thing for them is that when he comes up, he comes up to stay.

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Speaking of the White Sox, their radio broadcast team of Ed Farmer and Darren Jackson Sunday Morning Musingsbrought up an interesting point a couple of weeks ago, in regards to Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko. I can't remember who actually brought it up, maybe Farmer. The sentiment was basically about how great it is that two teammates, who are such great friends, of similar ages, and with similar career numbers, can push each other to keep succeeding. I actually think that is a great point.

I think when Paulie sees Dye have success, and vice-versa, he'll have a greater sense of confidence that he can do well, too. If those two guys can stay productive and healthy the White Sox will be near the top of their division.

Can we spark up a discussion on other teammates, age 33+, who have gone through a bromance like Jermaine and Paulie? Did their success carry the team? Did one of them get hurt, then the other fell apart?

One of the take aways from this is that it is good to live in a city with two baseball teams. I mean, I hate the White Sox, but it's better than listening to the the neanderthals on other sports talk stations.

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The Oakland A's and Detroit Tigers are a couple of teams that I find intriguing. Both teams have well respected General Managers and are in "winnable" divisions. I also think that these two teams' volatility have them on a fence between winning over 85 games or losing over 85 games.

The A's are "getting better". They had an offseason of supposed improvement, adding Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, Nomar Garciaparra, Michael Wuertz, and more is supposed to turn 2008's JV team into a 2009 contender. However, in the first three weeks of the season, they have not played well.

They have problems as one of their most important relievers, Joey Devine, underwent Tommy John surgery a few days ago. Plus, the very impressive Trevor Cahill has an unsustainable K:BB ratio of 7:15. (h/t Rob Neyer). They are 6-10, and the 6-11 Angels have also sputtered through some miserable starting pitching. (Will Paul Byrd be an Angel soon?)

I must mention the contributions of Jack Cust. He was on the Portland Beavers the entire season I was with the club, 2006.Sunday Morning Musings That year, he clubbed 30 HR's and walked what I believe to have been a record 143 times. His slash numbers for the Beavers that season were .293/.467/.549.

I have something to say about Jack Cust that should be in its own post. He seemed like a very nice guy, and I root for him. He's been on our roto team basically his entire time with the Oakland A's. He is maybe the best example of the three non-BABIP outcomes per plate appearance, for his propensity to hit HR's, Walk, and Strike out.

Back to Detroit... The Tigers, in contrast to the A's, are supposedly on the way down. They were in the World Series in 2006 (David Eckstein MVP? Ugh.) They are getting older, and their window is closing. Dontrelle Willis turned into the worst pitcher since Rick Ankiel. Gary Sheffield is on the Mets.

The state of their pitching staff was a huge question mark coming into the season, but they have some bright spots:

Justin Verlander's peripheral stats suggest that he's pitching more like he did in '06 and '07, than last season.

Fernando Rodney, for the most part, has looked like the guy who would be the closer for the Dominican National team.

A couple of rookies are quickly getting reputations for havingSunday Morning Musings power arms and being ahead of the game: Ryan Perry and our darling Rick Porcello have impressed in their first few appearances. Perry has been clocked towards 100 mph, and he's getting a reputation as a bit of a head hunter. That never hurts. Porcello is one of those guys I am rooting for to have a Lincecum-esque jump to the head of a rotation.

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I've been wanting to write about Carlos Pena for a few days, but I haven't much to say. I think he's also one of those HR, BB, K guys, but he looks like he is ready to have a big year. It's all about health with him, but a fast start certainly helps when you have a chance to have a career season.

No Outline, No Rough Draft

We usually try to be somewhat buttoned up on these posts. Usually, there is an outline or rough draft that we reread and spell check. Since it is 12:45 AM on Sunday morning, I'm just going to jot down a few quick thoughts that could be of importance to someone, somewhere.
  1. The Yankees need a 3rd baseman. Ransom stinks, and anyway, he's now hurt. Angel Berroa and Ramiro Pena are not good. If the AL East is going to be decided by as little as we expect, the difference No Outline, No Rough Draftbetween 1st and 3rd place, for the Yanks, could be the lack of production from 3rd base. Who's available? How about a trade for anyone better than Angel and Ramiro, which really challenges the question: What is the value of a replacement player at 3rd base this year? How about Mark Grudzielanek? How about sending the San Francisco Giants $100,000 for Dallas McPherson and some pain killers. Scott Rolen? Anyone? I seriously would like to know what Brian Cashman is thinking. Is he trying to get a 3rd baseman, or is he content with these guys?
  2. With Brian McCann on the DL, we expect David Ross to have a nice couple of weeks, until he remembers he's David Ross.
  3. The Cubs stink right now. Carlos Marmol is out for a few days, making Aaron Heilman the new "set up" man. What's he setting up? A Kevin Gregg appearance? That's not good for anyone. I'd much rather see Jeff Samardzija pitching high-leverage situations for the Cubbies, but when I looked at his 2009 Triple-A stats, they didn't look so good, considering he's already given up 3 HR's with Iowa.No Outline, No Rough Draft
  4. Jason Kubel hit another 2 HR's tonight. He has really been stepping up for the Twins. Speaking of the Twins, Joe Mauer may come back as early as Tuesday. His upcoming performance is huge for the AL Central race.
  5. Kyle Davies got knocked around pretty good... maybe we should be glad we never got on that bandwagon.
  6. Todd Coffey got hit hard today. The Brewers bullpen is about as bad as the Cubs. Are the Cardinals the class of the NL Central? I sure hope not...
More to come tomorrow, or (more likely) Monday. Go Cubs...

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