Tag: Game Recap

3
Jul/13

Updates, Grades and Twitter Reaction for Alex Rodriguez’s Return to the Field

by under MLB

Alex Rodriguez finally made his polarizing 2013 debut on Tuesday night after being sidelined with a hip injury…but it wasn’t for the New York Yankees.

A-Rod was finally cleared for baseball activities and took the field for the Charleston RiverDogs in Low-A ball, getting his three innings before taking a seat.

 

 

A-Rod’s play wasn’t exactly up to par, but seeing him on the field was certainly an encouraging sign for the Yanks, who desperately need right-handed bats in the lineup.

Let’s take a closer look at Rodriguez’s return to baseball.

 

Grade

It was a tough day for A-Rod.

The Rome Braves picked on him early, with the first batter dropping a bunt down the third-base line and beating A-Rod’s poor throw.

 

 

Things didn’t get any better when he was at the plate, either.

Rodriguez grounded into a double play and struck out looking in his two at-bats in this game, displaying little confidence in his natural talent.

I could’ve easily failed A-Rod completely and given him an F, but just seeing him on the field gives him a better grade than that.

Overall Grade: D

 

Twitter Reaction

Some fans were happy to see A-Rod back and welcomed him with open arms.

 

 

Most people were not those fans.

Things got ugly on Twitter, and seemingly every tweet took a shot at Rodriguez.

 

 

 

 

The fans in Charleston still had to get a few autographs, even if they weren’t exactly ecstatic to see Rodriguez’s performance.

 

 

Whether they like it or not, Yankees fans are going to have to accept that A-Rod might still be the team’s third baseman when he comes back.

 

 

 

What’s Next?

A-Rod’s road to recovery could take longer than we expected, as he revealed that he is planning on taking his time (CBS Sports).

The maximum number of games that can be played during a continual rehab assignment is 20, and Rodriguez has firmly said that he’ll play in all 20 before returning to the lineup.

If all goes according to plan, we’ll see A-Rod back at third for the Yankees by the end of the month, barring a setback.

After seeing how bad he looked on Tuesday, this is clearly the right path for him. He looked off at the plate, and he is clearly not ready for MLB pitchers just yet.

His mobility and defense were poor, his ability to make contact left a lot to be desired and he looks like he’s light years away from playing in the bigs.

Or 20 games.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, Leave a Comment more...

29
Jun/13

Dodgers’ 6-Game Winning Streak Ends with Worst Home Loss in Franchise History

by under MLB

One thing the Los Angeles Dodgers have to be given credit for on a night where nothing went right—they know how to end a streak in grand fashion.

Backed by a 21-hit attack and a six-RBI night from embattled outfielder Delmon Young, the Philadelphia Phillies whipped the Dodgers, 16-1.

It represented the Dodgers’ worst loss at home since they moved out west in 1958.

The night started out bad for the Dodgers and continued to get worse. Starter Chris Capuano was roughed up for three runs in the first inning and eventually left after allowing seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits in 3.2 innings.

Relievers Peter Moylan and Matt Guerrier were about as effective as Capuano. They combined to give up another eight runs in 3.1 innings.

The number of Phillies that crossed home plate even had legendary broadcaster Vin Scully looking for relief.

This was a perfect night for Brandon League to pitch, considering he was demoted from his closer role and designated for mop-up duty.

He at least held the Phillies to one run in his lone inning of work.

By that time, the Phillies had taken a 16-1 lead, and there was only one thing left for manager Don Mattingly to do—call upon his relief pitcher extraordinaire, Skip Schumaker.

Schumaker entered with a lifetime 0.00 ERA in a Dodger uniform, and he left with a perfect mark as well. He was the lone Dodger pitcher unscored on all night.

Schumaker has clearly given the phrase “utility player” a new meaning with his performance.

So the modest six-game winning streak ends for the Dodgers. But maybe they’ll catch a break on Saturday.

At least there’s that.

 

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle.

Feel free to talk baseball with Doug anytime on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, , , Leave a Comment more...

29
Jun/13

Indians and White Sox Total 29 Runs, 400-Plus Pitches in Game 1 of Doubleheader

by under MLB

The Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox put on an offensive clinic in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday, combining to score 29 runs as the Indians came away with a victory, winning 19-10.

The two teams simply couldn’t pitch to each other, as every batter who came up to the plate recorded a hit (other than Alex Rios, who still hit a sacrifice fly).

A total of 12 players pitched in the game, throwing a combined 406 pitches, 246 of which were strikes.

Coming right before a second game, the two teams slugged it out, starting in the bottom of the first inning.

The White Sox took their only lead of the game in the first inning, as Rios’ sac fly, Adam Dunn’s two-run home run, Jeff Keppinger’s solo shot and Gordon Beckham’s RBI double put the team up 5-0 early.

Right from the get-go it looked like Trevor Bauer was off, and the White Sox were able to chase Bauer after just 0.2 innings.

The Indians were 2.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central, and every game counts at this point for the team. Unfortunately, it looked like the Indians would fall further back in the Central race, but the offense had other ideas in mind.

The Indians would score 14 unanswered runs to go up 14-5 in the fifth: five runs in the top of the second, six in the top of the fourth and three more in the top of the fifth. What’s even more impressive is that the Indians scored 14 straight runs without a home run.

While the Indians clearly had their bats working, the White Sox didn’t exactly help themselves on defense, as seen by this Nick Swisher double, where the ChiSox had Swisher dead at second, but couldn’t get him out.

Cleveland scored two more runs that inning.

However, the fireworks were far from over.

The White Sox didn’t go down quietly, quickly scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth to bring the score back to a respectable 14-9.

It looked like the White Sox would have a chance to come away with a victory after all, but the Indians brought them back to earth quickly and effectively, scoring five more runs in the seventh and eighth innings to bring the score to 19-10.

As the game entered the ninth inning, the game was all but decided. The White Sox knew they would lose the game, but bearing in mind that they would have to play another game in just a few hours after this marathon of a contest, the team decided not to waste another arm.

Left fielder Casper Wells was told to head to the mound and pitch.

Wells was apparently ready for the challenge, as he came to the mound throwing fastballs that hit 91 mph and changeups that were filthy enough to get Asdrubal Cabrera to strike out swinging. He was also the only pitcher to get Jason Kipnis out in any of his seven at-bats.

After a 400-pitch game, the players undoubtedly just wanted to head home and take a nap (I know I would have), but the day was only half over.

Doubleheaders are grueling enough as it is. Playing two three-hour contests in one day is tough for even the best athletes in the world, but when that first game is such a lengthy one, it’s next to impossible to motivate yourself for a second game.

Too bad.

Carlos Carrasco and Jose Quintana will toe the rubber in the second game of the doubleheader on Friday night, and the key factor to watch for in the second game will be whether or not fatigue sets in.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, , , Leave a Comment more...

29
Jun/13

Reaction to Chipper Jones’ Induction into Braves HOF and No. 10 Retired

by under MLB

Chipper Jones was honored by the Atlanta Braves on Friday, as he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame and had his No. 10 jersey retired.

It wasn’t much of a surprise when the Braves announced they would enshrine the eight-time All-Star and former MVP who hit .303 with 468 home runs in his 19 years with the Braves.

Jones was just one of those guys that you couldn’t help but root for. He was a fan favorite by every definition of the word, and that became clearer than ever during his induction ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

The fans were always in Chipper’s heart, and his luncheon on Friday proved that he will always be in theirs.

According to Alive.com, Jones’ was the most attended Hall of Fame induction ceremony ever. He drew crowds of fans who wanted nothing more than to wish him well and thank him for all that he has given them over the years.

It wasn’t just fans who said goodbye to a legend, though.

Members of the media who have written about and had relationships with Jones paid tribute to the legend on Friday, including Trey Holloman of The Citizen and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

 

 

 

Jones was a down-to-earth player with a good head on his shoulders.

He was never the type of guy who would be obnoxiously arrogant or treat the people around him poorly. Instead, he had an aura of kindness and hospitality that’s hard to come by these days.

Aside from being a ballplayer, Jones was a role model, an outstanding citizen and a considerate, caring person.

Chipper’s love of the game and boyish enthusiasm are what made fans fall in love with him. He was always excited to step on the field, and he mentioned after the ceremony that he would have liked to have played on Opening Day, as seen in this moment of reflection captured on video.

Jones was a charismatic guy, and he built up one of the most loyal followings in history. Fans simply couldn’t get enough of him, and it showed during his ceremony.

You could hear a pin drop when Jones delivered his speech in his relaxed, easygoing manner.

Jones never took himself too seriously, but the crowd hung on his every word, and memorable quotes soon flooded Twitter.

 

 

 

He is simply one of the greatest legends to ever play the game, both in terms of how he played and how he carried himself off the field.

Chipper will go down as one of the greatest players in history, and there has arguably never been a better switch-hitter aside from Mickey Mantle.

As Jones joined his place amongst the immortals on this occasion, several legends were there to see him through, including Hank Aaron and Jones’ former coach, Bobby Cox.

 

 

 

Friday evening closed another chapter in Jones’ incredible life.

Chipper will be forever remembered as one of the greats, and those of us who had the pleasure to watch him should be thankful.

The next stop for this legend is Cooperstown.

 

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, , , , Leave a Comment more...

26
Jun/13

Ichiro Suzuki Overshadows Duel of Japanese Pitchers in Yankees’ Walk-off 4-3 Win

by under MLB

An all-Japanese pitching battle headlined the game between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees on Tuesday night, as Yu Darvish and Hiroki Kuroda took to the mound for their respective teams.

However, the spotlight ended up being stolen by the best Japanese player of all time—Ichiro Suzuki.

After belting just his second career walk-off home run, Ichiro’s blast was the sixth longball of the night as the Yanks walked off with a 4-3 victory over Darvish and the Rangers.

 

 

Ichiro capped off a night that was dominated by Japanese players with the blast, and the country of Japan had to be watching.

 

 

The night was supposed to belong to either Darvish or Kuroda, as both pitchers are having quite a season.

Darvish leads the MLB with 143 strikeouts and is trying to become the first pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts in a season since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling did it in 2002 for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also has posted a 7-3 record, accompanied by his 2.95 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.

Kuroda, on the other hand, is 7-5 with a 2.78 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP this year. He is having the best season of his career at 38 years old, and he has been crucial to the Yankees’ success.

The two battled it out for most of the night, as Darvish went 5.1 innings and Kuroda went 6.2. Both pitchers gave up three runs, although one was unearned for Kuroda.

One of the early stories in the night was that Darvish gave up three home runs for the first time in his MLB career, surrendering one each to Travis Hafner, Brett Gardner and Jayson Nix.

 

 

However, as the game headed to the ninth inning, closer Marino Rivera came into a game tied at three and held the Rangers scoreless.

The Yanks would have one more chance to win the game before extra innings, but Gardner wasted Chris Stewart’s lead off walk with a fielder’s choice and then by getting caught stealing second.

Ichiro was left up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when he crushed a 1-2 pitch to right-centerfield to win the game.

It was the perfect ending to a game that started and ended with Japanese-born players in the headlines.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, , , , Leave a Comment more...

22
Jun/13

Texas Rangers vs. St. Louis Cardinals Live Blog: Updates and Analysis

by under MLB

In a rematch of the dramatic World Series from only a couple of seasons ago, the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals face off in what is sure to be a terrific matchup.

In the first game of the series on Friday night, the Rangers came out on top thanks to a go-ahead single in the ninth by Nelson Cruz. Saturday’s contest has the potential to be equally as thrilling.

The young stud Shelby Miller will take the mound for the Redbirds. He will be going up against Martin Perez of Texas, who struggled in his lone start this year.

The Cardinals (47-27) have the best record in baseball thus far and will look to continue their dominance at the top of the NL Central. The Rangers (42-32) are only a game back in the AL West, and they will try to narrow the gap.

The stars will be out tonight at Busch Stadium, so tune in to Fox at 7:15 EDT for an interleague battle.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, , , Leave a Comment more...

22
Jun/13

A’s Bartolo Colon Bests Hisashi Iwakuma in Battle of AL West Aces

by under MLB

It’s likely that at the beginning of the 2013 season, no one would have assumed that starting pitchers Bartolo Colon of the Oakland Athletics and Hisashi Iwakuma of the Seattle Mariners would be anchoring their pitching staffs.

Colon pitched brilliantly last season—posting a 10-9 record and 3.43 ERA—before being slapped with a 50-game ban for violating MLB‘s joint drug program.

Iwakuma was injured at the beginning of last season and worked out of the bullpen before joining the starting rotation, ending his first year in the league with a respectable 9-5 record and 3.16 ERA in 30 appearances, 16 of them starts.

Yet on Friday, they matched up against each other, Colon with a 9-2 record and 2.89 ERA, which included a six-game winning game, and Iwakuma with a 7-2 record and impressive 2.06 ERA.

In fact, Safeco Field has proved to be a safe haven for both pitchers.

The A’s got to Iwakuma quickly as he yielded a two-run home run to Yoenis Cespedes in the top of the first inning.

The Mariners answered right back, however, when second baseman Nick Franklin connected for a three-run shot off Colon in the bottom of the third.

Colon settled down after Franklin’s shot, working quickly and flawlessly through eight innings.

But Iwakuma wasn’t quite so lucky. He gave up two more home runs, a solo shot to Jed Lowrie in the fourth and another solo blast to Coco Crisp in the sixth.

It just wasn’t Iwakuma‘s night, exiting after seven innings and allowing four runs on six hits, three of which went yard.

On the other hand, Colon was efficient after Franklin’s blast, giving up just four singles for the rest of the evening and once again showing off outstanding velocity and command.

The 6-3 victory by the A’s lifted Colon to 10-2 with a 2.93 ERA, joining Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer as the only other hurler with double-digit wins in the American League.

At least one person on Twitter expressed incredulity at that fact.

At this point, it would be hard to overlook Colon as a deserving All-Star selection. At 40 years of age, he has a legitimate shot at a 20-win season, which would make him one of the oldest in MLB history to achieve the feat.

But for now, the A’s and Colon will simply enjoy the seven-game winning streak and hope that it doesn’t stop anytime soon.

 

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle.

Feel free to talk baseball with Doug anytime on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, , , , Leave a Comment more...

21
Jun/13

Texas Rangers vs. St. Louis Cardinals Live Blog: Live Updates and Analysis

by under MLB

The Texas Rangers (42-32) defeated the St. Louis Cardinals (47-37) 6-4 at Busch Stadium on Friday night.

Neal Cotts (4-1) earned the win in relief, Trevor Rosenthal (1-1) suffered his first loss and Joe Nathan tallied his 23rd save of the season.

Nelson Cruz led the way with three RBI and Derek Holland recovered from a rough start to throw seven innings and receive a no-decision.

Holland gave up four runs on four hits in the first two innings, but would settle down and retire the final 12 hitters he faced. He walked three and struck out four in a strong finish. He also went 0-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a run scored.

Tyler Lyons started for the Cardinals but only lasted 1.2 innings giving up four runs on three hits with three walks. Lyons is now winless in his last four starts. The Cardinals have the best record in baseball, but are just 5-5 in their last 10.

Allen Craig added a two-run double to increase his season total to 57 RBI. Carlos Beltran earned his 46th RBI in the first inning, but flew out to the wall in left-center field to end the game.

This was the Rangers’ first regular season trip to Busch Stadium and the first since Game 7 of the 2011 World Series.

The Rangers lost games six and seven in Busch Stadium en route to their second consecutive World Series loss. It was the Cardinals’ 11th World Series title.

Saturday’s Game 2 is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. and features Martin Perez (0-1) against Shelby Miller (8-4).

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, , , , , , , , Leave a Comment more...

19
Jun/13

Report Card Grades for Zack Wheeler and Wil Myers’ Much-Anticipated MLB Debuts

by under MLB

Two more elite prospects made their MLB debuts on Tuesday, adding to the wave of extremely talented rookies.

The New York Mets sent Zack Wheeler to the mound for the first time, while the Tampa Bay Rays unveiled Wil Myers, one of the best hitting prospects in the country.

There have been quite a few spectacular MLB debuts so far this year, but did Wheeler and Myers keep that trend going? Let’s take a look at how each mega-prospect fared in their big league debuts.

Begin Slideshow

Leave a Comment more...

19
Jun/13

Braves vs. Mets Video: Watch Ugly Collision Between Upton Brothers

by under MLB

The Upton brothers got a little too close for comfort on Tuesday night.

B.J. Upton and Justin Upton collided in left-centerfield on Tuesday night as the Atlanta Braves took on the New York Mets.

You can clearly see B.J. waving off his younger brother, but Justin didn’t hear him and the two collided right as B.J. makes the catch and hangs on.

The two were obviously just fine, as B.J. shoves his younger bro as the two walk off the field together, but I’m not sure Mrs. Upton will be so happy.

It’s one thing to see two players collide and joke about it, but how often do we see brothers do it?

Twitter had a bit of fun with the collision too:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s just hope that the two can learn how to share better in the future.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

, , , , , Leave a Comment more...

Copyright © 1996-2010 Kuzul. All rights reserved.
iDream theme by Templates Next | Powered by WordPress