Braves lose, drop into tie for wild card (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 27 September 2011 11:58:32 PM. © MLB News Blog

Dan Uggla drop-kicked his bat after striking out on three pitches. Chipper Jones slammed his bat into the dirt after popping up. Derek Lowe just trudged off the mound to another round of boos from the home crowd, wondering how it all went wrong. The Braves are mad and frustrated heading to the 162nd game.

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Royals Lose 7-4, Relevant Baseball Played
Elsewhere

post from Royals Review on 27 September 2011 11:01:00 PM. © Royals Review

Minnesota Twins' Ben Revere, right, is tagged out by Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Quick hits

It is hard to get too excited about a game with O'Sullivan starts when 4 teams are playing for 2 playoff spots.
Perez goes 2 for 4, the guy is unreal.
Gia was 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and a triple.

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Brewers Fielder has first 3-homer game (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 27 September 2011 11:00:27 PM. © MLB News Blog

Brewers slugger Prince Fielder has hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career. Fielder connected in the third, fifth and seventh innings on Tuesday night against Pittsburgh, driving in five runs over the three at-bats. He also walked in the first. Fielder now has 38 home runs and 120 [...]

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Red Sox hang on, stay tied for wild card (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 27 September 2011 10:54:29 PM. © MLB News Blog

The Boston Red Sox maintained a share of the AL wild-card lead Tuesday night, using four home runs to beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 and set up a dramatic conclusion to the regular season. The skidding Red Sox were 6-19 in September before rebounding to edge the last-place Orioles. The win, combined with Tampa Bay’s [...]

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Angels pull Santana, Weaver from starts (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 27 September 2011 10:24:25 PM. © MLB News Blog

The Los Angeles Angels have scratched Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver from their final two starts of the season. Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia’s decision Tuesday likely means Detroit’s Justin Verlander will win the AL’s pitching triple crown, holding off Weaver for the league ERA title.

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Rays beat Yanks again, turn triple play (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 27 September 2011 10:20:26 PM. © MLB News Blog

Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist homered Tuesday night, helping the surging Tampa Bay Rays continue their improbable chase for the AL wild card with a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. The Rays, seeking their third playoff berth in four seasons, began the night tied with Boston after making up nine [...]

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Are Michael Young and Victor Martinez starting a
trend

post from Baseball In-Depth on 27 September 2011 10:03:00 PM. © Baseball In-Depth

13 or fewer HR, 100+ RBI (since 1939)
4 1945 (Bob Elliott, Luis Olmo, Andy Pafko, Dixie Walker)
2 2011 (Michael Young, Victor Martinez)
2 1948 (Hoot Evers, Frank McCormick)
2 1944 (Bob Elliott, Ray Sanders)

This might change if Young (11 HR, 105 RBI) or Martinez (11 HR, 102 RBI) hit a bunch of home runs over the final couple of games, but it is true for now. They'll be only the 3rd and 4th hitters since 1988 to accomplish this, with Paul Molitor (1996) and Jeff Cirillo (2000) being the others.

It might be the beginning of a trend, but it's difficult to say. They are both on excellent offensive teams and hit nearly .400 with RISP, which probably means this will continue to be a rare event. It is a welcome development in the context of home runs going down throughout baseball, and to see these two both hitting clean up on top flight offenses.

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Game Thread – September 27, 2011

post from LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, LA Dodger News, Dodger Minor League Reports and Dodger Chatter on 27 September 2011 10:01:34 PM. © LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, LA Dodger News, Dodger Minor League Reports and Dodger Chatter

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Philadelphia Batters Atlanta 7-1.

Once again, Derek Lowe just didn't have it.

Another key game, another bad loss. The Phillies battered Braves starter Derek Lowe and Atlanta's bats were nowhere to be found as Philadelphia beat Atlanta 7-1.

Lowe struggled from the start, giving up a first inning home run to Chase Utley to make it a 1-0 game early.

Philly added to its lead in the third inning, as Carlos Ruiz doubled to start the frame and Roy Oswalt reached on a sacrifice bunt that advanced Ruiz to third. Jimmy Rollins followed with a single, scoring Ruiz to make it a 2-0 game and putting runners on first and second.

Back-to-back sacrifice flies advanced Oswalt to third and scored him to up the lead to 3-0.

Shane Victorino singled to start the top of the fourth inning, and he advanced to third on a single from Raul Ibanez. Victorino came in to score on a sacrifice fly from Placido Polanco. Polanco's fly ball upped the Phillies lead to 4-0.

Rollins singled to start the fifth inning and chased Lowe from the game. Lowe finished with a line of 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.

Arodys Vizcaino followed in relief of Lowe and gave up a two-run homer to Hunter Pence two batters later. Pence's blast made it a 6-0 game.

Rollins added a home run off Julio Teheran in the seventh inning to make it a 7-0 game. Martin Prado homered in the bottom of the ninth, a solo shot, to keep Atlanta from being shutout.

St. Louis and Houston are currently tied at 5 in the fifth inning in Houston, so let's go Astros.

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http://www.talkingchop.com/2011/9/27/2454660/philadelphia-batters-atlanta-7-1

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Braves lose, lead wild card by half-game (AP)

The Atlanta Braves are doing their best to give away what looked like a certain playoff berth just a few weeks ago. Derek Lowe had another miserable outing, surrendering five runs in four-plus innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies romped to a 7-1 victory Tuesday night that left the Braves on the brink going to the [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/09/28/braves-lose-lead-wild-card-by-half-game-ap/

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