Jones gets 2,500th hit, Braves top Phils (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 08 April 2011 11:18:29 PM. © MLB News Blog

A perfect night for Chipper Jones. Jones hit a go-ahead, three-run double in the fourth inning off Cliff Lee, added his 2,500th career hit and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Friday night in their home opener. Even better, Bobby Cox was there to see it all after throwing out the first [...]

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Braves Jones reaches 2,500 career hits (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 08 April 2011 11:18:29 PM. © MLB News Blog

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Chris Narveson PITCHf/x notes: Saturday preview

post from Cubs f/x on 08 April 2011 11:02:03 PM. © Cubs f/x

After a slow throwing lefty with a big curve, it's time for a slow throwing lefty with a big curve.[...]

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-saturday.html

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Astros Drop Another Hearbreaker, Fall to Marlins
4-3

post from The Crawfish Boxes on 08 April 2011 11:02:00 PM. © The Crawfish Boxes

Towlsie doin' yard work.

What is it about this team and Fridays? Did Hunter Pence or Brett Wallace play some Rebecca Black last week and curse this team for the rest of the season?

Crazy conspiracy theories aside, I felt better about this loss than I have all this season. Some very positive things in the midst of the loss, like J.R. Towles going 3 for 4 with a solo home run or Brett Wallace going 3 for 4 with his own solo home run and two runs scored. Heck, even Wandy Rodriguez bounced back in a big way. Of course, he WAS pitching at home, where he's so comfortable, he might as well have a La-Z-Boy out there on the mound.

Wandy wasn't brilliant, allowing eight hits and only striking out two, but he was effective. He only allowed one run and pitched around some tough situations. It helped that the Astros made some sparkling defensive plays for him time and again, but don't discount how big this was. With the shoulder tendinitis this spring and his rough outing against Philadelphia, there was no telling how Wandy would start this season. If he was as bad as the start of 2010, this team would really suffer.

Unfortunately, not every part of this game was a bright spot, as the ever-reliable Wilton Lopez gave up two runs and the lead in the top of the eighth. Jeff Fulchino gave up another run in the ninth, which proved key, since Wallace led off the ninth with a solo home run. That made it 4-3, but if Fulchino hadn't given up that solo shot to Chris Coghlan...

Alas, we'll have to settle for some very positive points in an otherwise disappointing loss.

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Nationals 6 Mets 2 April 8, 2011

post from The Mets Report on 08 April 2011 10:34:45 PM. © The Mets Report

The lowly Nationals ruined the Mets home opener by a score of 6-2. R.A. Dickey had one of his worst starts as a Met, fighting through a broken nail on his pitching hand. The game was announced as a sell out despite the empty seats and availability of tickets online as late as last night ... Continue Reading

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SS Ramirez bruises leg in Marlins win (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 08 April 2011 10:21:25 PM. © MLB News Blog

Chris Coghlan homered and drove in two runs to back a solid outing by Ricky Nolasco, and the Florida Marlins beat the Houston Astros 4-3 on Friday night. Nolasco (1-0) allowed two runs in eight innings to spoil Houston’s home opener. Leo Nunez allowed two hits, including a homer in the ninth, before pinch runner [...]

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Torture returns as Giants win home opener

post from 22gigantes on 08 April 2011 10:03:17 PM. © 22gigantes

Sanchez pitched five solid innings in the no-decision.It's official. Torture is back.

Aaron Rowand lined a two-out bomb off the center field wall in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants a dramatic 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in their bay area home-opener Friday.

A win's a win, but this one had torture written all over it as Brian Wilson self-destructed in the ninth inning and blew the save, forcing the game into extra innings.

More on that in a minute.

Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez was magnificent, scattering four hits and walking two while striking out seven batters before giving way to Guillermo Mota in the 6th inning in front of a sellout crowd of 42,048 who packed the joint to help the Giants celebrate their 2010 World Series title with an extravagant pre-game ceremony.

When the game finally got started, it was the Red Birds who scored first. David Freese led off the second inning with a double and two outs later, Tyler Greene lined a single to center to bring him home [watch video].

Huff dives (and misses) a liner to right field.San Francisco tied it up an inning later when Miguel Tejada (who was announced as "Michael" by a well-meaning 8-year old girl over the PA system) hit his first home run of the year -- in his first at bat at AT&T Park -- off Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook.

Jonathan Sanchez followed Miggy's homer with a double and two batters later, Freddy Sanchez doubled down the right field line on a 1-2 pitch from Westbrook.

The Giants took a 3-1 lead in the 6th inning when Pat Burrell blasted his third home run of the year to deep center field [watch video].

Everything was going great until the ninth inning. That's when things got really interesting.

Wilson, possibly still exhausted from his pre-game jaunt from home plate to the flag poles in the right field arcades where he raised his team's World Series flag, got rocked for the second straight game since coming off the disabled list.

This says it all.With his team up 3-2 with two outs and nobody on in the ninth, the Giants closer walked Yadier Molina. Pinch hitter Daniel Descalso followed with a single. Wilson then doinked pinch-hitter John Jay to load the bases. In an epic, 12-pitch battle, Ryan Theriot delivered a crushing, two-run single to left field to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead [watch video].

But the Giants would not go down quietly on this day.

In the bottom half of the ninth, with two outs, Rowand (who had entered the game as a defensive replacement for Aubrey Huff in left field) singled and went to second on a wild pitch by Cards' reliever Ryan Franklin. Buster Posey followed with a walk. Then, on a 1-0 pitch, Pablo Sandoval tied it back up with an RBI single to right field [watch video].

After unsuccessful attempts in the 10th and 11th innings, the Giants finally put the Cards away in the 12th.

Tejada singled off Brian Tallet with one out. After a fielder's choice put Nate Schierholtz on at first, Andres Torres reached base when Albert Pujols dropped the throw to first from Tallet. Schierholtz moved to third on the play. With second base open, Torres stole second and Freddy Sanchez was walked intentionally to bring up Rowand with two outs and the bases loaded.

Rowand took a 1-0 pitch from Tallet all the way to the wall in center field [watch video] and Schierholtz scored the game-winning run easily -- one of the only things that went easy for the Giants, who were 28-24 in one-run contests last year to earn the nickname "torture."

[RELATED: Pomp and Circum-champs!]

Other notes:

Huff continued to battle the baseball gods in right field Friday. With one out in the 3rd inning, Colby Rasmus lined one to Huff in right. Huff dove for the ball (missed it of course) and then rolled his wrist in the process. At least he kept it in front of him this time (it went for a single). The wrist appears to be OK, but Huff did favor it for a while afterwards.
Interestingly, it was Huff's shaky defense that prompted Bochy to replace him with Rowand in the 8th inning with the Giants up 3-2. Rowand would end up being the X-factor in this one.
Bryan Stow's two children were in attendance. Stow is the bay area man who was severely beaten by two Dodgers fans in the parking lot at Chavez Ravine last week. One of Stow's children held up a sign that read, "Please pray for my dad."

GAME SUMMARYFinal score:SF 5, STL 4 (12 innings) [view box score] [video highlights]Winning pitcher: Runzler (1-1)Losing pitcher: Tallet (0-1)Save: noneGame ball: Rowand (2-for-3, 1 R, game-winning RBI)Top play: Rowand's walk off hit in the 12th inning to score SchierholtzGiant homers: Tejada (1), Burrell (3)Giants' record: 3-4, 4th place, 2 games backStreak: Won 2Next up: STL at SF, Saturday, 7:05 p.m. PDT [download press pass]TV/Radio/Web: CSN Bay Area, KNBR 680 AM, sfgiants.comStarters: Matt Cain (1-0, 0.00) vs. Jaime Garcia (1-0, 0.00)Venue: AT&T Park

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Giants celebrate title, top Cards in 12 (AP)

The San Francisco Giants raised the flag and the Cardinals dropped the ball. Aaron Rowand hit a game-winning single off the left-field wall with the bases loaded in the 12th inning and the Giants celebrated raising the World Series flag with a 5-4 victory over St. Louis on Friday. First baseman Albert Pujols dropped what [...]

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The Great Friday Link Out: Baseball in full swing

Good news for fans of Cal baseball. It looks like the program will be continuing beyond this season. Manny Ramirez is retiring, the federal government’s perjury case against Barry Bonds has gone to the jury, and baseball’s Steroid Era takes another sad turn. On a side note, next Tuesday’s edition of Does he belong in [...]

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swing/

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Ms manager Wedge upset at 2B Wilson (AP)

Just a week into the regular season Jack Wilson’s transition to second base for the Seattle Mariners is creating problems. Wilson was out of the lineup Friday night as Seattle hosted Cleveland in its home opener, and when Wilson will return to the lineup is anyone’s guess based on the reaction of new Mariners manager [...]

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