This week in Baseball

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Who doesn't get clutch late inning hits now?

[the pinjockey]

Come on now, be serious. He did it in the 8th inning. Where are the 9th inning, walk off grand slams off Eric Gagne that all clutch hitters get? That is what I need to be seeing from him.

[the pinjockey]

BTW, what the hell got into Cory Lidle today? 16 Ks in 35 IP going into today, 10 Ks in 7 IP today?

 

If Wolf has it turned around (solid outing last time) and they move Madson into Padilla's spot, I am really liking the rotation as long as Lidle remains decent.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Pfft, Shane Victorino > Kelly Shoppach

 

God that just looks so wrong. Looks like the Phils might have lucked out on that Rule 5 pick.

Victorino's doing well and all, but it is still very early to know for sure how good he can be. He looked god-awful on Monday when I saw him last, but he did well yesterday.

 

And Cartman, Shoppach is indeed good. Since the Sox have Varitek, I've been dreaming up trade scenarios to get him to Philly.

[Guest TheDon]

Tino Martinez hits his 9th of the season and has hit a homerun in 5 consecutive games.

[KingPK]

We'll take Abreu off the Phils' hands for ya.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Want Jose Offerman?

 

It's depressing to see a team's plan for the ninth inning include letting both Tomas Perez and Jose Offerman hit. Especially when Jason Michaels, Ryan Howard and Mike Lieberthal are on the bench. How much longer before the Phillies realize Offerman is washed up?

[Lightning Flik]

Tino Martinez hits his 9th of the season and has hit a homerun in 5 consecutive games.

My pick up of Martinez in the TSM H2H League is looking better and better now. Too bad its for next week.

[KingPK]

Want Jose Offerman?

We already danced to that tune, thank you.

[KingPK]

Damn, first Foulke blows a save with a HR by Bobby Kielty, then Dotel blows his second straight save with a HR by Varitek.

 

Crazy.

[Bruiser Chong]

The real kicker is that Dotel and Foulke are the only two closers I have on my fantasy team. Their terrible outings the last two days have negated all the good my starting pitching has done.

[KingPK]

The guys on the Sox postgame had a good point: Dotel kept on trying to throw gas by every hitter, and that's what the Sox hitters love to look for, ESPECIALLY inside pitches they can pull down the lines.

[Bruiser Chong]

I get the feeling that the Cub pen is gonna blow another game for Prior.

[fairtoflair7]

and BC is correct....Eric Valent 1-10 as PH knocks a run in to tie the game at 3 in the 9th.

[strummer]

but Mike DeJean does his best to let the Cubs win in it in the bottom of the 9th

[ISportsFan]

White Sox beat the Rays for the first time this season, 5-2, behind Orlando Hernandez and Dustin Hermanson pitching extremely well. Konerko may be struggling, but his hits are big, as a double plated 2 runners.

 

Jason

[Bruiser Chong]

Don't worry. With the wind blowing in and our inability to adapt to such conditions, it's no sure thing. Hollandsworth makes more enemies, unable to even lay down a bunt. To me, that's something every Major Leaguer should be able to do, but many can't.

 

I'll bet LaTroy feels a little better knowing that others suck in the closer role, too. Shouldn't be surprising that the tying run walked earlier.

[Brett Favre]

Speaking of NY, Yankees win! Daaaaaaaaaaaaa Yankees Win!

 

Sweep the next series and we're back to .500. It was nice to see them like the good time Yankees by coming back after trailing 0-5 in the first. Pavano didn't have his stuff, but luckily, probably for the first time in a while, the Yankee bats bail out a bad start.

[Bruiser Chong]

It's not a good thing that with the bases loaded and one out, it's still a 50/50 chance the Cubs score.

[Bruiser Chong]

I hate being right.

[Bruiser Chong]

I'm gonna have to start stalking Derrek Lee if he keeps hitting like this. That's the Cubs, though. Bases loaded, one out, no score. Nobody on, and we can win with the longball. And to think I was cursing how he kept fouling off ball four.

[C Dubya 04]

The Phils have patented the idea of not scoring with the bases loaded and under 2 outs.

[Bruiser Chong]

Kolb is a hell of a closer. Question for the Braves fans here: Do you prefer having a solid starter in Smoltz in the starting rotation or the stability of the ninth inning that's no longer there?

[DerangedHermit]

There's no shame to losing to Derrek Lee. He crushed that motherfucker.

 

at Dan Kolb blowing the Braves game against the Rockies, however.

[Bored]

A's are DONE. Dotel gives up another walk off today. 90+ loss season is on it's way.

[Bruiser Chong]

I remember Steve Stone saying at the outset of the season that if the A's fall out of it, the Cubs would pursue Dotel. Personally, as many saves as Dotel has blown, I'd still take him over anyone else we've tried in the spot the last decade. I'm afraid, though, if we end up acquiring a closer, it'll be the "proven" Jose Mesa.

[Guest StylesMark]

I'm still pretty pleased with the Yankees pitching right now. RJ has been terrfic lately, Moose has been great lately, Beside today, Pavano has looked decent, Brown has sucked, and Wang has been terrific. I honestly expect Brown to continue to right his ship for some reason, maybe for the fact he still has great stuff.

Alright man...I'm a HUGE Yanks fan too...I was crushed during the last three games of the ALCS. I was crushed in 2003, 2002, 2001. I was crushed before 96, for many, MANY years. All that said, HUGE fan.

 

RJ, has been a disappointment. Moose, was great for one game, and that's it. Pavano has not been decent, not at all. I should shoot myself for calling him "the next Pettite" before the season. Brown, yes does SUCK. Wang, is too early to call. One good game does not a good pitcher make.

[Guest OSIcon]

Went ot the O's game today. They are well under .500 in games I attend so anytime they win a game I'm at, I'm happy. Big win as it gives them the series and some momentum going into Chicago which will be a big four game series.

 

With Sosa and Matos out, they called up Keith Reed from AAA (OF) and surprisingly Jeffrey Fiorentino (OF) who was just playing A ball at Frederick (he was a 2004 draft pick). They also placed Jason Grimsley on the 60 day DL and sent down Rick Bauer in order to make room for Sal Fasano ©. The idea is that with Matos and Sosa out, Gibbons will have to play more RF, which means Palmeiro (and Chris Gomez) will split time at first. In order to get a strong bat at DH, they will give Javy more games as DH and use Fasano and Gil more behind the plate.

 

The O's have a pretty deep bench, so they shouldn't hurt *too* much from these injuries.

[mike546]

Um, how has RJ been a dissapoinment? He had a rocky start, sure, but hes been dominant lately. His last three starts, 8 IP 1 run, 9 IP 2 runs, 8 IP 3 runs. You can tell hes starting to heat up.

 

Moose has been very good his last two starts. Early, he couldn't hit 90 on the radar gun, and his control was out of wack. In his last two starts, both gems, hes been getting the ball up to 92 MPH. Hell, he was still throwing strong 92 MPH at 130 + pitches. Pavano has been inconsistent, sure, but hes been ok. Hes had 4 great starts, and 3 bad ones. He wasn't on today, but 5 of his runs were unearned. If A-Rod turns the DP in the first, can you honestly say he ends up giving 9 runs? I don't.

 

Maybe I'm crazy for having hope in Brown, but in his two good starts against Anaheim and the As, I've seen his great stuff. Hes still capable of being a good pitcher with a 3.50 ERA. All he has to do is realize that hes not 25 anymore, and can't over power hitters like he used too. Again, if I'm totally wrong, someone tell me.

 

Wang has been good, and what hes done is far better than what he needs to do to stay around here. I don't see Wright coming back this year from his injury, and while we don't have much, we know we'll pick up SOMEBODY decent at the deadline.

 

Maybe I'm just dreaming, but I'm a lot more confident in this years rotation than last year.

[MarvinisaLunatic]

I said the O's needed to go no worse than 8-4 on the homestand (I Was hoping for better) but that was exactly how they finished the 12 game homestand.