Mike Schmidt 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Base

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 23 August 2012 09:13:33 AM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Mike Schmidt 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen – Base As a former Florida Marlins and current Miami Marlins fan, I find it hard to really ‘like’ anyone on the Phillies. Sure, I really enjoy watching Roy Halladay pitch. But beyond that, … Continue reading →

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Is Derek Jeter a MVP candidate

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 23 August 2012 08:33:50 AM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

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Mr. Softee, Steroids and A-Gon

post from LADodgerTalk.com - Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully, Andre Ethier and the Dodgers on 23 August 2012 08:02:24 AM. © LADodgerTalk.com - Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully, Andre Ethier and the Dodgers

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Video: Girardi heckled by White Sox fan during
post-game interview

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 23 August 2012 07:31:15 AM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

[...]

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Time To Announce The Contest Winner NL West
Supremacy Contest

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 23 August 2012 06:05:23 AM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Time To Announce The Contest Winner – ?NL West Supremacy Contest? Well, the 3-game series between the Giants and Dodgers is over. And I have to think that the Dodgers and Dodgers fans are very happy about that… The race … Continue reading →

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Doug Hooks Up Me & My Player Collections!!!

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 23 August 2012 04:15:43 AM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Doug Hooks Up Me & My Player Collections!!! I love trading baseball cards. It was one of my most favorite things to do as a kid and I still enjoy it today. Sadly, I get to do it too often because … Continue reading →

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Giants Stay Hot, Sweep LA

post from The Giants Baseball Blog- A San Francisco Giants Blog and Fan Website on 23 August 2012 02:01:37 AM. © The Giants Baseball Blog- A San Francisco Giants Blog and Fan Website

The Giants went into LA a half game back of the Dodgers in the West but they'll be heading back home with a firm 2.5 game lead after sweeping their SoCal rivals.

First of all, I know there's still 6 weeks left in the season, but the Giants need to seriously be considering keeping Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro around beyond this season. The Giants 1-2 hitters again got the train rolling Wednesday night, as both singled to start the game and both ended up scoring in the first inning to again help the Giants set the tone. Angel wound up going 2-3 with a walk and a couple runs scored, and Scutaro had another multi-hit game and scored a pair. Number 16 didn't just do it with the bat this series either. The play he made Thursday night to gun down A.J. Ellis at the plate was, in my mind, the play of the series for the Giants. If he doesn't come up with that throw, the Dodgers are sitting pretty with Lincecum on the ropes in a close ball game. That kept momentum on the Giants' side that they carried into game three. Then on Wednesday, the Giants got another huge defensive play by Joaquin Arias, taking a hit away from Shane Victorino early on and helping the Giants keep the Dodgers off the board.

The more Arias has been playing lately, the more he's starting to grow on me, and that was evident Wednesday when the utility man went 3-4 and drove in 5 RBI. He helped pick up the slack for a lineup that was minus Buster Posey, and provided further testament to how well the Giants are playing right now! It seems like everyone they're putting out there is contributing in some way and this type of play was what helped carry them at the end of 2010.

Now, as good as the Giants looked in their set with LA, they still have a couple of issues that they have to decide on as we close in on the waiver deadline. Gregor Blanco has done an adequate job in place of Melky Cabrera since he's taken over in left field, but I said a week ago that Blanco was much better served as the 4th outfielder for this team. Also, Justin Christian may be one of the worst hitters in the major leagues right now and isn't helping the offense whatsover when he's put out there vs. the lefties. Defensively, both guys are brilliant, but without Hunter Pence really cooking, the Giants need all the offense they can get. A few names that have been mentioned in connection with San Francisco lately has been Jeff Franceuor and our old friend Cody Ross. Now Franceour has a much better chance at clearing waivers, but Ross would obviously be the first choice out of those two, not only for his great play in 2010, but also the tremendous job he's done with Boston this season. And then there's also the closing spot, which we still haven't seen anyone really grab hold of and claim yet. I don't mind the closer-by-committee deal right now, but down the stretch, these guys need defined roles. If Casilla keeps throwing like he did Wednesday, he should get the job back.

Mike Krukow summed up this series in a few words Wednesday night, saying "The Giants simply outplayed the Dodgers" during this three game set, and it wasn't even close. The starting pitching was on point, the defense picked up the slack and the offense hit with runners in scoring position like their season depended on it. They're playing confidently and with a sense of urgency and I can't wait to see what they do with LA in a few weeks back in San Francisco.

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Stevens Hits Walkoff Homer In the 13th While
Cunningham And Drury Stay Hot In Wednesday's Atlanta Braves Minor League Action

post from Talking Chop on 23 August 2012 02:01:36 AM. © Talking Chop

Bobby Stevens hit a pinch hit, walkoff homer in the bottom of the 13th for Mississippi.

Bobby Stevens hit a walkoff homer in the 13th for Mississippi, Todd Cunningham and Brandon Drury stayed hot, and Gary Moran had a great start.

Gwinnett Braves - Off

The G-Braves begin a 4 game series with the Syracuse Chiefs on Thursday. Sean Gilmartin is scheduled to start the opener.

Mississippi Braves

Todd Cunningham CF 2-5, BB, SB (22), .315 AVG
Keenan Wiley RF 2-6, RBI, .245 AVG
Bobby Stevens PH 1-1, HR (1), 2 RBI, .182
Gary Moran 7 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 8 K, 2.97 ERA
Erik Cordier 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K, 15.43 ERA
Mark Lamm 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 4.04 ERA
Cory Rasmus 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 3.81 ERA
Billy Bullock 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 3 K, W (1), 3.65 ERA

Bobby Stevens hit a pinch hit, 2 run homer in the bottom of the 13th to give Mississppi the walkoff victory. It's a great highlight in a strange year that has seen Stevens play for 5 different teams at 3 different levels in 2 different organizations. Todd Cunningham reached base 3 times and picked up his fourth steal in his last 3 games. He extended his hitting streak to 6 games, going 10-29 with a double and 2 walks in that stretch. Gary Moran started the game and was outstanding, allowing only 1 unearned run while striking out 8 over 7 innings. A good first half that saw him post a 3.22 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 72.2 innings earned him an All-Star nod, but he's been a little better in the second half, with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in 76 innings. In his last 2 appearances, Mark Lamm has struck out 7 in 4.2 scoreless innings. Billy Bullock picked up his first win of the season with 2 scoreless innings. The 24 year old righty has struck out 8 in 5.1 scoreless innings in his last 3 appearances.

Zeke Spruill will start the series finale on Thursday.

Lynchburg Hillcats 2, Winston-Salem Dash 7, 11 innings

Michael Spina DH 1-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, .203 AVG
Aaron Northcraft 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 4.06 ERA
Ryne Harper 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 2.01 ERA

Aaron Northcraft struggled mightily in his last start, allowing 0 runs, 7 earned, in just 1.1 innings of work, but he came back strong tonight, striking out 6 in 6 innings while allowing just 1 earned run. He leads the Carolina League with 152 strikeouts in 139.2 innings. Ryne Harper tossed 2 scoreless innings, and he has struck out 15 in 13.2 scoreless innings over his last 7 appearances. Mike Spina had one of Lynchburg's 2 hits on the night, his first homer with the team. He struggled with AA Midland this year, hitting just .176 with a .573 OPS in 256 at bats before his release, and he's continued to struggle with the Hillcats, hitting .203 with a .668 OPS in 59 at bats.

Lynchburg won the first half, and they're currently 2 games back with 11 games to go. Dimasther Delgado will start the series finale tomorrow.

Rome Braves 6, Hickory Crawdads 4

Ross Heffley 2B 2-5, 2B, .282 AVG
Kyle Kubitza 3B 1-3, RBI, BB, .241 AVG
Brandon Drury 1B 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, .236 AVG
Fernando de los Santos SS 2-4, HR (7), RBI, .237 AVG
Fabian Williamson 5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 K, 3.47 ERA
Ian Thomas 3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K, W (5), 2.81 ERA

Brandon Drury had a 2 hit, 2 RBI day that included a triple, and in his his last 2 games he's gone 5-7 with 3 RBI. After an abysmal first half that saw him hit .187 with a .495 OPS, 14 doubles, 2 homers, and 21 RBI in 241 at bats, he's done a 180 in the second half, hitting .303 with a .770 OPS, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 28 RBI in 175 at bats. In his last 10 games, Ross Heffley is hitting .281 with a .831 OPS, a double, a homer, and 3 RBI. After struggling in July, hitting .156 with a .525 OPS and 28 strikeouts in 90 at bats, Kyle Kubitza has rebounded nicely in August, hitting .290 with a .789 OPS and 6 doubles in 62 at bats. Ian Thomas picked up the win with 3 scoreless innings of relief. The 25 year old lefty, playing in affiliated professional baseball for the first time, has been great this year, with a 2.81 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and 4.2 K/BB in 41.2 innings over 23 appearances.

The R-Braves are 3.5 games ahead of Asheville with 11 games to go. Rome will begin a 4 game series in Savannah tomorrow, with David Starn scheduled to start the opener.

Danville Braves 5, Princeton Rays 7

Levi Hyams 2B 3-5, 2 2B, SB (7), .239 AVG
Trenton Moses 3B 2-5, RBI, E (7), .305 AVG
Blake Brown CF 1-3, HR (4), RBI, BB, .205 AVG
Felix Marte RF 2-4, HR (8), RBI, .278 AVG
Frank Lafreniere 7 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 K, 3.77 ERA

Levi Hyams hit a pair of doubles as part of a 3 hit day, and in his last 5 games, he's gone 7-19 with 3 RBI and 2 walks. Blake Brown hit his third homer of the year, making him 3-10 with a walk in his last 3 games. Felix Marte was 2-30 in his last 9 games, but he went 2-4 today, clubbing out his eighth homer of the season. Frank Lafreniere allowed 4 runs, but only 2 of them were earned, and in his last 2 starts he has allowed 2 earned runs in 11 innings, walking 5 and striking out 4.

With 6 games remaining in their season, Danville is 4 games behind Burlington for the division lead and 2 games ahead of Princeton for the second playoff spot. Tomorrow, the D-Braves begin a 3 game series against the Greeneville Drive, with Eduardo Castillo scheduled to start the opener.

GCL Braves 4, GCL Blue Jays 1

Tommy La Stella 2B 0-2, BB, .250 AVG
Tyler Tewell C 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, .312 AVG
Joey Meneses DH 2-4, 2 RBI, .304 AVG
Anthony Nunez 1B 1-2, BB, .275 AVG
Jorge Montenegro 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 4.89 ERA
Donovan Drake 4.1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K, W (2), 1.42 ERA

Tommy La Stella went 0-2 with a walk in his second rehab game, making him 1-4 with a homer and 2 RBI overall. In his last 10 games, Tyler Tewell is hitting .407 with a 1.083 OPS, 3 doubles, a triple, a homer, and 8 RBI. Joey Meneses drove in 2 runs and rapped out 2 hits, extending his hitting streak to 6 games. During that span, the 20 year old Mexican has gone 8-26 with a double and 2 RBI. Anthony Nunez is 3-6 with 2 RBI in his last 2 games. Jorge Montenegro struck out 5 while allowing 1 run over 4.2 innings. In 20.1 innings in 11 relief appearances, the 21 year old Panamanian righty has a 5.75 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP, and in 14.2 innings in 4 starts he has a 3.68 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. In 25.1 innings over 11 relief appearances, 23 year old righty Donovan Drake has a 1.42 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.

The Braves and Blue Jays will play again Thursday afternoon.

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Fish Cap: Miami Marlins 0, Arizona Diamondbacks 3

PHOENIX, AZ - AUGUST 22: Starting pitcher Wade Miley #36 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Miami Marlins during game two of the MLB double header at Chase Field on August 22, 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Source: FanGraphs

Attendance: 20,027

Hero of the Game: Greg Dobbs (+.026 WPA+)

Goat of the Game: Carlos Lee (-.146 WPA+)

Play of the Game: Paul Goldschmidt doubled to center off Wade Leblanc in the fourth. Aaron Hill advanced to third. (-.093 WPA+)

The Marlins got shutout by lefty Wade Miley in their second game of the day. Miley pitched eight shutout innings, then handed the ball to J.J. Putz to seal the deal. The Marlins only had six total baserunners in this game.

Wade Miley was really good tonight. Miley, who is probably the favorite for N.L. Rookie of the Year, had pretty awesome control of his two-seam fastball tonight. The ball went almost exactly where the catcher wanted it pretty much every pitch.

Wade Leblanc actually was okay for Miami today. He pitched seven innings, and only allowed two earned runs. However, he got no run support from his offense to back him up.

Next game for Miami is Friday against the Dodgers. Nate Eovaldi will face Chad Billingsley and his other old teammates.

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Giants beat Dodgers 8-4 to earn 3-game sweep
(Yahoo! Sports)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matt Cain pitched seven strong innings, Joaquin Arias homered and drove in a career-high five runs, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 on Wednesday night to extend their NL West lead to 2½ games with their first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium in five years.

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