Twins use 3-run 8th to beat Red Sox 5-2 (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 10 August 2011 11:40:46 PM. © MLB News Blog

Jim Thome hit a tiebreaking RBI double during Minnesota’s three-run eighth inning and the Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Wednesday night. Thome also had a run-scoring single and the Twins got an outstanding effort from Nick Blackburn to snap a six-game losing streak and avoid a sweep. Thome hit the 119th pitch [...]

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Os win in 10, end ChiSoxs 5-game run (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 10 August 2011 11:12:28 PM. © MLB News Blog

Nolan Reimold came to plate with a .209 batting average and four hits in his last 37 at-bats. The last thing he needed was to put pressure on himself to produce with the score tied in the bottom of the 10th. Jumping on the first pitch he saw from Jason Frasor, Reimold hit a two-run [...]

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Royals Blow Game In 9th, Lose 8-7

post from Royals Review on 10 August 2011 11:01:17 PM. © Royals Review

Quick Hits:

Perez makes his major league debut with a big splash. He was 1 for 3 with an RBI. He also picked Fuld off of 3rd base
Paulino did not pitch well at all. 5 IP, 4 BB, 1K, 1 HR and only 1 Run. He only made it 84 pitches. I will take a look at the Pitch FX for any issue in the morning.
Cabrera with 1 HR, 2 SF and 5 of the RBIs.
Gia was 2 for 4 with a triple and 1 Run and RBI. Showed some of his defensive liabilities in the 9th.
The bottom of the 9th inning sucked. Here is the unfortunate breakdown:

A Crow relieved G Holland.M Joyce singled to right.J Damon singled to right, M Joyce to second.J Soria relieved A Crow.E Longoria doubled to center, M Joyce scored, J Damon to third.B Zobrist grounded out to second, J Damon scored, E Longoria to third.C Kotchman reached on infield single to second, E Longoria scored.E Johnson ran for C Kotchman.B Upton struck out swinging.S Fuld tripled to deep center, E Johnson scored, S Fuld scored on throwing error by second baseman J Giavotella.

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Sanchez's Struggles Cost Giants Series

post from The Giants Baseball Blog- A San Francisco Giants Blog and Fan Website on 10 August 2011 11:01:16 PM. © The Giants Baseball Blog- A San Francisco Giants Blog and Fan Website

The Giants have lost their mojo, and if they don't get themselves right on this upcoming road trip they're going to find themselves looking up at the Arizona Diamondbacks before long.

What was supposed to be the teams strength, the starting pitching, was really roughed up this whole home stand. Jonathan Sanchez's start on Wednesday was just the boiling point, as it was Sanchez's second start since returning from the DL and 2nd ugly loss in is many starts. The Giants 28 year-old lefty continues his Jekyll and Hyde season which has seen him really tank in his last 4 starts, including the last 2 before his DL stint. Over those last 4 starts, Sanchez is 0-3 with a 9.88 era and 15 walks in just 17 innings pitched. Wednesday was basically those 4 starts in a nutshell, as all 4 batters Sanchez walked came around to score. The DL stint apparently did nothing for the left-handers confidence for effectiveness, cause he looks like a deer in headlights out on the mound. It's a tough situation for the Giants now too, because all the sudden, they have themselves a little problem with their fifth starter. We've seen Barry Zito get rocked in his last few starts so it's almost like a pick your poison situation for Bochy now. Do you want Sanchez, who has better stuff but will likely walk 4-5 batters a night, out there or Zito, who's much more accurate, but also throws just 84 MPH and has become a batting practice pitcher on most nights. I don't really expect the Giants to bring any youngster like Eric Surkamp up to throw in the heat of a pennant race, so it makes me wonder if the Giants would actually look into bringing in a 5th starter through waivers, a la Brad Penny from a couple years ago. There are a ton of starters out there who could get put on waivers, like Bruce Chen, Javier Vazquez and Rich Harden.

While the pitching was roughed up pretty good all home stand long really, the offense looked even worse. Carlos Beltran missed the whole Pirates' series and could miss some time in Florida as well. On a positive note, one of the guys who the Giants are really hoping turns it around for these last months is slowly starting to get it going. Aubrey Huff has started contributing on a much more consistent basis over the last few games, hitting .400 with 1 hr and 3 RBI over his last 7 games. He's gotten his average up to the .250 mark, which is the first step, and he just has to keep chipping away. It's especially key for the other outfielders and Huff to step up big with Schierholtz and Beltran each down. That includes Andres Torres, who's been way too easy an out in the leadoff spot. I really believe a solid .275 hitting leadoff man would really help kick start this offense, and it's really to bad Sabean couldn't find someone before the deadline to help out. There's still a chance he could look to upgrade the roster, mainly catcher and center field, if anyone of note gets put on waivers. That list includes Coco Crisp and Juan Pierre as potential leadoff hitters to look for this August. I'm surprised the Giants didn't go harder after Coco Crisp, who I'm sure the A's would have parted with before July 31st. I'm not sure what it would have cost the Giants in trade, but I sure know that Crisp's .275 avg. and 37 steals would look pretty nice in center right about now.

The One That Got Away? It sucks watching the Giants offense take a nose dive, while one of their former farm-hands is absolutely tearing the cover off the ball for the Padres. Jesus Guzman, who spent 2009 in the Giants organization has gotten a look with San Diego, and he's taken off. The 27 year-old first basemen enters play Thursday with a .350 average, 6 HR, 30 RBI and 21 runs in only 123 at-bats as the Padres new first basemen and their heir apparent to Adrian Gonzalez. I know their not in it now, but Guzman is young and will likely have the Giants kicking themselves a few times over the next few years for letting him slip away. Dude can rake!

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ies.html

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Atlanta Earns A Sweep Of Florida With A 6-2
Victory

post from Talking Chop on 10 August 2011 11:01:15 PM. © Talking Chop

Tim Hudson pitched well and helped Atlanta sweep Florida.

Atlanta got a strong pitching performance from Tim Hudson and jumped all over Anibal Sanchez early as the Braves earned a sweep of the Marlins with a 6-2 win.

The Braves got on the board in the top of the first inning as Michael Bourn and Martin Prado started the frame with back-to-back singles. An Eric Hinske groundout advanced the runners to second and third for Dan Uggla, who extended his hitting streak to 31 games with a single to center.

Uggla's single scored both Bourn and Prado to make it a 2-0 game.

Atlanta added to its lead in the second inning. Jose Constanza singled with one out and then stole second base and scored on a single from Tim Hudson to up the lead to 3-0.

Prado then singled to put runners on first and second for Hinske who doubled to right field, scoring both runners and giving Atlanta a 5-0 lead.

His double also chased Sanchez from game, finishing with a line of 1.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. `

David Ross kept the Braves offense going in third inning as he doubled off of Burke Badenhop with one out. Ross then advanced to third on a single from Constanza and came in to score on a wild pitch to up the lead to 6-0.

Tim Hudson held Florida scoreless for seven innings but was unable to continue that in the eighth. Logan Morrison started off the inning with a home run to right center to make it a 6-1 game. Florida added another run in the inning but that would be all they would get.

Highly-touted prospect Arodys Vizcaino made his much anticipated debut in the bottom of the ninth. He got two outs including a strikeout, but walked two and and hit a batter. Jonny Venters came in and recorded the final out to seal the 6-2 win.

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Brewers win again, lead Cards by 5 games (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 10 August 2011 10:58:25 PM. © MLB News Blog

Randy Wolf pitched eight sharp innings and the streaking Milwaukee Brewers jumped on Jake Westbrook early to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 Wednesday night, giving the NL Central leaders their 13th win in 14 games. Prince Fielder had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and an RBI double in the third to help [...]

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Nova Continues to Make His Case as Yankees Win

post from Bronx Baseball Daily » Bronx Baseball Daily, a New York Yankees blog on 10 August 2011 10:31:43 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily » Bronx Baseball Daily, a New York Yankees blog

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Grandersons 2 HRs help Yankees end skid (AP)

Curtis Granderson hit a three-run homer off Garrett Richards before the rookie got his first major league out and the New York Yankees snapped their three-game losing streak with a 9-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night. Granderson later added his 31st homer of the season on a long shot to the [...]

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Reds 3 homers spoil Millwoods return (AP)

Joey Votto hit the last of Cincinnati’s three solo homers, spoiling Kevin Millwood’s return to the majors, and the Reds turned a season-high four double plays Wednesday night, holding on for a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Votto’s leadoff homer in the sixth inning snapped a 2-all tie and put the Reds in position [...]

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Jimenez beats Tigers in Tribe home debut (AP)

Ubaldo Jimenez showed why Cleveland traded for him, winning his home debut and rookie Jason Kipnis went 5-for-5 with four runs and three RBIs as the Indians shaved another game off Detroit’s lead in the AL Central by beating the Tigers 10-3 on Wednesday night. With its 13th straight win at Progressive Field over Detroit, [...]

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