And That Happened

I’m lazy this morning, so if you want box scores, go and get them here.

Mets 6, Nats 1: Livan Hernandez shows how you stick around baseball for 15 years getting 225 innings a year despite the fact that you kind of stink: you throw tons of pitches without getting tired and occasionally, just occasionally, you rip off a killer start like this one (CG, 9 H, 1 ER) to keep the overall numbers closer to average than they typically feel. Oh, debut for Fernando Martinez (0-3 and an RBI on a fielder’s choice).

Orioles 7, Blue Jays 2: The smallest crowd in the history of Camden Yards showed up to watch the Blue Jays fall further into the abyss. The crowds will be larger this weekend, however, as Matt Wieters will be called up to make his Major League debut. Prediction: Mere anarchy will be loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence will be drowned. The best will lack all conviction, while the worst will be full of passionate intensity.

Indians 5, Rays 1: At five games back, the Rays have matched the farthest out of first place they ever were last year. Except that came in April last year, so now may be a good time to start declaring them dead. Well, preparing to think about declaring them dead anyway. By the way, every run in this game came on a home run. It probably happens a lot, but I always like when I notice that sort of thing before someone points it out to me.

Phillies 5, Marlins 3: Joe Blanton was lights out (7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 11K) and Hanley Ramirez had to leave the game with tightness in his groin in the third. I hate it when that happens.

Royals 6, Tigers 1
: Zack Greinke continues to maraud his way through the American League, this time making mincemeat of the Tigers (CG, 6 H, 1 ER, 8K 0 BB).

Reds 6, Astros 4: As of Monday Joey Votto was still having problems with dizziness. His home run last night must have been a case of him swinging for the ball in the middle. And a day after letting Harang pitch both sides of a rain delay, Dusty pulls Micah Owings at 99 pitches and doesn’t let any of the five subsequent relievers pass 16 pitches. At this point I can only conclude that he’s just messin’ with the pitch-count hysterics and Dusty haters out there. Which is probably what I’d do if I were Dusty Baker.

Cubs 6, Pirates 1: A rain-shortened final. Milton Bradley walked twice, so apparently the umpire vendetta against him has come to an end.

Cardinals 8, Brewers 1: Bad day all around for Milwaukee, as they lose the game, lose sole possession of first place, and lose Ryan Braun early when he got popped on the wrist by an Adam Wainwright pitch. Corey Hart is lost too: He’s 11 for his last 66 and left a lot of runners on the bases last night.

Twins 5, Red Sox 2: Joe Mauer is finally held at bay, but no one has an answer for Justin Morneau yet (2-3, HR, 3 RBI). David Ortiz was moved down in the order for the Sox. I’m not sure why people make such a big deal about this, but they do.

Giants 4, Braves 0: Tim Lincecum is really good (8 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 8K). Kris Medlen may be some day, but he ain’t yet (5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER). Send him back down and bring up Hanson.

Diamondbacks 6, Padres 5: Arizona ends San Diego’s win streak, despite almost blowing a big lead in the final two innings. Chris Young ended things with a pretty spiffy catch at the wall.

A’s 4, Mariners 3: The Mariners do blow a three-run lead late, wasting a strong outing from Jarrod Washburn. It was all singles and walks that did it for Oakland, but they’ll take it.

Dodgers 7, Rockies 1: What were the odds that Livan Hernandez and Eric Milton would pitch well and get wins on the same night? It if wasn’t for Miguel Batista coughing up that A’s-Mariners game I would have thought that we has been cast into some other dimension where black is white, up is down, and cruddy pitchers get guys out all the time.

White Sox 4, Angels 2: Jayson Nix homered twice and played some nifty defense and Bartolo Colon was better than he’s been in several starts.

Rangers 7, Yankees 3: Joba Chamberlain threw way too many pitches early and got knocked out after four innings. If he’s ever going to live up to his potential he’s going to have to build some efficiency into his game.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

5 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jacob
14 years ago

Nice W.B. Yeats reference.

J.W.
14 years ago

From all I’ve heard about the guy, the following lines would seem to be an apt description of Mr. Wieters: “A shape with lion body and the head of a man,/A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun.” It would appear Yeats prophesied the coming of The Catcher.

J.W.
14 years ago

For anyone curious about the poem, and too lazy to Google the lines Craig quoted:

http://www.potw.org/archive/potw351.html

Scott
14 years ago

And that’s how I learned that ‘gyre’ wasn’t a nonsense word made up by Lewis Carrol. Thanks JW.

APBA Guy
14 years ago

Less than 10,000 in Camden last night, hence the Wieters call up. I guess Greg Zaun being Rick Dempsey’s nephew wasn’t enough.

The A’s have won 4 straight. I didn’t think I’d be typing that this year, but for one inning, they acted like professional hitters and consumed the Mariners’ bullpen.

Speaking of crowds, the Mausoleum supposedly had 10,300 last night. I guess 3,000 were perpetually in the concourse.

For those of you not yet on the Andrew Bailey bandwagon, 15 pitches in the 9th, 9 strikes, two strikeouts, ground out (weak) on batter number 3, and fastball velocity 94-98. Wow! As Dallas Braden says, he’s “a nuclear weapon”.