Show #165: The Braves Continue to Tread Water

What to do with Lowe?  Is the offense improving?  Hanson versus JJ.[...]

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http://www.atlantabaseballtalk.com/show-165-the-braves-continue-to-tread-water/

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R.A. Hung out to dry again!

I don't want to hear that RA hurt himself because he failed to drop down a bunt. He is the only player not to fail in this game. The rest of his team continues to fail him. he is the new Johan Santana! He does NOT deserve 13 loses!

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Cardinals move within 3 1/2 of wild card (AP)

Allen Craig hit two homers and drove in three runs, Chris Carpenter gave up eight hits in eight innings, and the St. Louis Cardinals improved their playoff chances with a 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night. Albert Pujols also homered for the Cardinals (83-69), who pulled within 3 1/2 games of the [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/09/19/cardinals-move-within-3-12-of-wild-card-ap/

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Esmil Rogers Eviscerated by Mighty Giants Lineup,
Rockies Lose 12-5

Looks like I made a good decision in going to the Broncos game instead of watching this train wreck. The Giants hit six homers in the game and had nine extra base hits -- all in the first six innings -- to complete the four game sweep over the hapless Rockies. Four of those homers and eight runs came in the fourth inning, including two long balls by Pablo Sandoval. Oh by the way, the Giants have scored by far the fewest runs in the NL this season. With the loss, Colorado officially clinched a losing season.

In what I sincerely hope will be his final major league start, Esmil Rogers was terrible. I mean, of the seven hits he allowed over 3.2 IP, the first six went for extra bases and four were home runs -- including a ball tatered to dead center by pitcher Matt Cain. He allowed nine runs in the 3.2 IP, raising his ERA to 6.64 and his WHIP to 1.83 in 78.2 IP. Greg Reynolds came on in relief and promptly allowed a Sandoval three run shot.

Offensively, both Ty Wigginton (of course) and Seth Smith had multi-hit games, but there was little that they could do after the disastrous fourth inning.

If this is what 2012 looks like, count me out. I hope that Dan O'Dowd and company just allow Jason Hammel (who threw two good innings of relief) and Kevin Millwood to provide slightly below average production from the back of the rotation rather than running out this dreck.

Graph:

via www.fangraphs.com

We Salute: EY 2 (.089 WPA)

We Are Disappointed In: Rogers (-.364 WPA), everyone else

Roll Call: tulo92, PetroCW, jrockies (x2, most prolific), free7694, SDcat09, biondino, RMC7511, everever, Cargo's Ball Sack5, RoxnSox09, prettyinpurple, butterfly, holly96, pacified, Roxman, jasonwrites, DieHrdRox, Rockies7935, purplesocks, Northsider1964, papality, Oldfoagie, alex colfax, RdRnnr, The Lodo Magic Man, CentralCaliRox, Roxman4ever
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Total Posts: 757
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Verlander 24-5 after 12th straight win (AP)

Justin Verlander won his 12th straight start, pitching three-hit ball over eight innings to become the first pitcher in nine years to reach 24 wins and lead the AL Central champion Detroit Tigers over the Oakland Athletics 3-0 Sunday. Verlander (24-5) struck out six and walked three, extending his scoreless streak to 17 innings.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/09/18/verlander-24-5-after-12th-straight-win-ap/

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Diamondbacks cut West magic number to 5 (AP)

Joe Saunders took a five-hitter into the ninth inning, Paul Goldschmidt drove in three runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 5-1 Sunday to cut the magic number to five for their first NL West title since 2007. Arizona maintained a five-game lead over second-place San Francisco with nine games remaining, stopping [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/09/18/diamondbacks-cut-west-magic-number-to-5-ap/

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Beltre haunts Ms, Rangers top Hernandez (AP)

Adrian Beltre got the best of friend and former teammate Felix Hernandez, hitting a two-strike pitch for a two-run homer in the fourth inning and propelling the Texas Rangers to a 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Beltre lined his 27th homer of the season into the bullpens in left field, then playfully [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/09/18/beltre-haunts-ms-rangers-top-hernandez-ap/

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Sandoval has 2 HRs, Giants streak at 8 (AP)

Pablo Sandoval homered twice in an eight-run fourth inning, part of a six-home run barrage that led the late-charging San Francisco Giants over the Colorado Rockies 12-5 Sunday for their eighth straight win. On its longest winning streak since April 2007, San Francisco closed within four games of Atlanta, the NL wild-card leader.

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/09/18/sandoval-has-2-hrs-giants-streak-at-8-ap/

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The Impossible Dream is Over - Royals Lose to
White Sox

Eventually Joe DiMaggio finally quit hitting. Cal Ripken finally took a day off. Susan Lucci finally won a Daytime Emmy. All good streaks eventually come to an end, and our Royals finally snapped their seven game winning streak with a 10-5 loss to the White Sox Sunday afternoon. That sound you heard at about 1:15 was thousands of Chiefs fans turning the dial to WGN, where the Royals/White Sox tilt was airing, as the Chiefs season had effectively ended. There is plenty of room on this bandwagon Chiefs Nation. The final stop is the Plaza.

But today was a mere blip on the way to Mission 2012. The Royals hung tight for six innings, threatening to tie or take the lead in the fifth, sixth and seventh, but Jesse Chavezed it up in the eighth and things got out of hand in a hurry. 

John Danks didn't particularly pitch well, possibly lowering his chances of getting dealt to KC for Mitch Maier. He lasted six innings, giving up ten hits and four runs, while striking out as many hitters as I did from my couch. 

Chen pitched much the same way, going five innings plus, giving up nine hits and four runs, while striking out just two. Each team had fifteen hits, but it was the Sox who were actually able to hit it over the wall, as they hit three home runs that put the game out of reach.

Melky Cabrera stole his 20th base of the year, the fourth Royals player to reach that mark joining Alcides Escobar, Chris Getz and Jeff Francoeur. Only the 1978 Royals had more accomplished basestealers, with seven Royals reaching the 20 stolen base mark that year (Can you name them? Answer below.)

Last home series of the year this week. How will you celebrate? BY DESTROYING THE TIGERS OF COURSE.

Answer: George Brett, Al Cowens, Hal McRae, Amos Otis, Freddie Patek, Frank White, Jim Wohlford.

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Rays pull within 2 games of Red Sox (AP)

David Price took a line drive off his chest but stuck around to pitch four solid innings, and the Tampa Bay Rays capitalized on Tim Wakefield’s wild knuckleball to beat the Red Sox 8-5 Sunday and cut Boston’s AL wild-card lead to two games. Boston lost for 11th time in 14 games, including three of [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/09/18/rays-pull-within-2-games-of-red-sox-ap/

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