Cards score 9 in 6th, hold off Astros (AP)

Lance Berkman homered and drove in four runs during a nine-run sixth inning, then added a solo shot in the ninth against his former team to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 11-7 on Thursday night. Berkman’s three-run shot off Fernando Abad (1-2) gave St. Louis a 5-4 lead, as a mixture [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/04/29/cards-score-9-in-6th-hold-off-astros-ap/

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Rays Zobrist has 10 RBIs in DH sweep (AP)

Ben Zobrist had a good week all in one day for the Tampa Bay Rays. Zobrist hit a two-run homer to give him 10 RBIs on Thursday and Jeff Niemann carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning as Tampa Bay swept a day-night doubleheader with a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Zobrist went 7 [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/04/29/rays-zobrist-has-10-rbis-in-dh-sweep-ap/

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Any player/Any era: Charles Victory Faust

What he did: Okay, this one’s unconventional. Faust qualifies as a baseball player only in the barest sense of the word, as limited a participant as Eddie Gaedel, a midget who made one plate appearance in 1951 or Aloysius Travers, a seminary student who served as a replacement pitcher during a one-game strike in 1912 [...]

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http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2011/04/28/playerany-era-charles-victory-faust/

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Yanks rip ChiSox behind Swishers 4 RBIs (AP)

With the bases loaded and a favorable count in the third inning, Nick Swisher had one thing on his mind: home run. He took a a big swing and hit a meek foul ball before walking for his first of four RBIs in the New York Yankees’ 12-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on [...]

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http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/04/29/yanks-rip-chisox-behind-swishers-4-rbis-ap/

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Dodgers Promote INF Russ Mitchell, Disable Casey
Blake

Per a tweet from Ken Rosenthal; to replace Casey Blake on the 25-man roster as he goes to the 15-day DL. Mitchell's minor league stats aren't that encouraging; the 26-year-old is hitting .214/.281/.393 in the hitter-friendly confines at Albuquerque, but he hit .315/.363/.535 in 2010. Mitchell didn't make the Baseball America top 10 list this year, but I don't think that, even though Dee Gordon is hitting .346/.370/.716, it's a small sample sized conclusion (81 PA) and I wouldn't want to wreck him by starting his clock when he's not ready. Mitchell, on the other hand, is likely expendable.

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http://6-4-2.blogspot.com/2011/04/dodgers-promote-inf-russ-mitchell.html

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Series preview: SF (12-12) at WAS (10-13)

The defending World Champion San Francisco Giants continue their 10-day, 10-game road trip with a stop in the nation's capitol to take on the Washington Nationals in a four-game series that begins Friday at Nationals Park.

These aren't your grand-daddy's Nationals. The team formerly known as the Montreal Expos has some very good, young talent from Single-A all the way up to the Majors. It won't be long before the Washington Nationals become a serious contender. And, unlike the Expos, people actually come out to see the Nats play.

The Nats are led by former Philadelphia Philly Jayson Werth (.233/.313/.442, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 6 doubles, 2 SB), who took a lot of money to come to Washington this past offseason. He hasn't been earning his paycheck yet, but he's got big time power and can get hot in a hurry.

First baseman Adam LaRoche (.221/.326/.364, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 2 doubles, 1 SB) has always been a Giant-killer. In 179 lifetime at bats against San Francisco, LaRoche is batting .302/.370/.598 (0.968 OPS) with 10 HR and 39 RBI. He's off to his usual slow start and nagging shoulder and groin injuries haven't made it any easier for him to get going. His defense at first base, though, is super.

Zimmerman: Giant killer.Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has also hurt the Giants pretty good in the past (.303/.397/.477, 3 HR, 21 RBI in 31 career games against San Francisco). He's been out since April 9 with an abdominal strain, though, and has only played in eight games. He was batting .357/.486/.536 (1.022 OPS) with a homer and four runs batted in when he went on the DL.

Second baseman Danny Espinosa (.234/.319/.403, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 1 SB) has been a huge catalyst for the Nationals. He has great bat speed, but sometimes has trouble laying off the high ones. He's a very athletic kid who can flat out run. The 23-year old has very good range at second.

Shortstop Ian Desmond (.205/.253/.333, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 doubles, 8 SB) is another athletic kid with a plus arm. At only 25, the Nats have the making of a middle infield that can serve them well for the next ten years.

Washington's pitching staff is still anchored by the ageless Livan Hernandez (2-2, 3.48 ERA, 1.323 WHIP, 4.4 SO/9, 1.67 SO/BB ratio). The 36-year old right-hander won't pitch in this series. However, lefty John Lannan (2-1, 3.43 ERA, 1.619 WHIP, 5.1 SO/9, 1.33 SO/BB ratio) will, and he can be pretty tough.

Watch out for Lannan. He's one tough southpaw.Probably the most exciting young pitcher on the Nats' staff is right-hander Jordan Zimmerman (1-4, 4.55 ERA, 1.247 WHIP, 4.2 SO/9, 2.80 SO/BB ratio). He has a lively fastball and a plus curve, plus slider and plus change. He could be in Washington's rotation for a very long time.

Closer Drew Storen (1-1, 0.69 ERA, 0.846 WHIP, 6.9 SO/9, 2.50 SO/BB ratio) has two above-average pitches, a fastball and a power slurve that's become his strikeout pitch. He struggles with his command at times, though, and can be vulnerable to the big inning.

The Nationals are coming off a 4-3 win over the New York Mets on Thursday.

The Giants, meanwhile, just completed a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates, in which they won two of the three contests.

San Francisco has had trouble getting on base, let alone scoring runs lately. Prior to Thursday's 5-2 win in the rubber match of their series with the Bucs, the Giants had gone 0-for-17 with runners in scoring position in the previous two games. Their average with RISP went from .272 to .246, the 11th-lowest mark in the National League. In fact, San Francisco hadn't had more than three hits in a game with runners in scoring position over their previous 16 contests before Thursday.

Ford: Smoke comes out his spikes.Giants manager Bruce Bochy has been relying more and more on the wheels of speedy youngsters Darren Ford and Emmanuel Burriss, who was called up from Triple-A Fresno when Mark DeRosa went on the DL Thursday.

San Francisco's relief corps has tossed a combined 9.1 innings (one earned run) over the last three nights in Pittsburgh. With Giants starters logging 7-or-more innings just four times this season (three times by Tim Lincecum), the Giants' relief corps has been used frequently so far through the team's first 23 games. The 'pen has logged 90.1 innings, 3rd-most among Major League bullpens. In fact, over the last 10 days, the Giants' bullpen has worked 35.1 of the clubs' 92.1 innings. Last season, San Francisco's 'pen worked the third-fewest amount of innings in the NL (461 IP).

Previous match-ups:
This is the first meeting between the two clubs this season. The Giants won four of the six games they played against the Pirates last year, winning two-out-of-three at both PNC and AT&T Parks.

Rankings:
Avg. -- Giants .241 (3rd in NL West, 10th in NL); Nationals .227 (5th in NL East, 14th in NL)
Runs -- Giants 90 (4th in NL West, 11th in NL); Nationals 90 (5th in NL East, 11th in NL)
HR -- Giants 23 (2nd in NL West, 4th in NL); Nationals 20 (3rd in NL East, 6th in NL)
ERA -- Giants 3.76 (3rd in NL West, 6th in NL); Nationals 3.88 (4th in NL East, 9th in NL)

Injury watch:
Giants -- INF/OF Mark DeRosa (left wrist inflammation) was placed on the disabled list retroactive to April 25. An examination of his wrist revealed swollen cartilage but no damage to the surgically repaired tendon. LHP Barry  Zito (strained right foot) went on the 15-day disabled list April 17. He was scheduled to be examined by foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in North Carolina on April 27. Zito wore a hard cast on his sprained right foot for four days before moving to a protective walking boot. The expectation was that Anderson would provide a timetable for Zito's return. CF Andres  Torres (left Achilles' tendon strain) went on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 10. He was continuing his rehab at the Giants' Scottsdale, Ariz., facility in late April. RHP Santiago  Casilla (right elbow inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 1. He is continuing his rehab at the Giants' Scottsdale, Ariz., facility. Casilla threw a bullpen session April 22 for the first time since he was injured on Opening Day.

Nationals -- RHP Chad Gaudin (right shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 26. RHP Henry Rodriguez (sore neck) went on the 15-day disabled list March 28. He began a rehab assignment with Class AA Bowie (Md.) on April 7, and he moved to Class AAA Syracuse in mid-April. He was activated April 27. 3B Ryan Zimmerman (abdominal strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 10. He is likely to be out longer than the minimum 15 days. He resumed baseball activities on April 26. He is expected to need a minor league rehab assignment before he returns to the Nationals. RHP Chien-Ming Wang (right shoulder surgery in July 2009) went on the 60-day disabled list March 28. Wang threw two innings in a simulated game in the Nationals' extended spring training in Viera, Fla., on April 21, and trainer Lee Kuntz told reporters Wang experienced no pain in his surgically repaired shoulder. There is no timetable for Wang's return. RHP Elvin Ramirez (right shoulder soreness) went on the 60-day disabled list March 28. RHP Stephen Strasburg (Tommy John surgery in September 2010) went on the 60-day disabled list March 23. He is throwing long toss from 100 feet, but is not expected to return to the majors until September at the earliest.

Weather:
Friday -- Mostly sunny, High 67/Low 48, 10% chance of precipitation
Saturday -- Sunny, High 69/Low 53, 0% chance of precipitation
Sunday -- Mostly cloudy, High 73/Low 58, 20% chance of precipitation
Monday -- Isolated thunderstorms, High 66/Low 50, 30% chance of rain

Nats Twitter list:
Click here for a list of Washington Nationals bloggers and beat writers who are on Twitter.

Friday: Tim Lincecum (2-2, 2.70) vs. Jason Marquis (2-0, 3.55), 4:05 p.m. PDT, CSN Bay Area/KNBR 680 AM


Lincecum allowed five runs and six hits in 6.1 innings in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Braves. His tough day began with back-to-back walks, the first two of what became a career-high six overall. This came after he carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning Monday at Colorado. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner allowed his most earned runs since also giving up five last Aug. 15 against San Diego.
Lincecum allowed as many earned runs on Saturday as he had in his first four starts this season and nearly matched his walk total. His ERA went from 1.67 to 2.70 in the outing and cost him his chance at three straight wins. In four career starts against Washington, Lincecum is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA.

Marquis allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings in the Nationals' 6-3 win over the Pirates on Sunday. The 32-year-old veteran, who had two strikeouts, has more wins against the Pirates (12) than any other team. He has won nine of his past 11 decisions against Pittsburgh. Marquis hasn't been spectacular this season by any means, but he's been consistently solid in his four starts and has a 3.55 ERA, along with two wins in his last two outings.

Saturday: Jonathan Sanchez (2-1, 3.21) vs. John Lannan (2-2, 4.05), 1:05 p.m. PDT, CSN Bay Area/KNBR 680 AM

Sanchez, who needed an IV Saturday to battle the flu, looked solid on the hill Sunday against the Braves. He gave up a pair of runs on a Chipper Jones double in the first inning, but he settled for the remainder of his time on the mound. In fact, Sanchez didn't allow a hit the rest of the way. He worked five innings total, and struck out five hitters while walking three on the afternoon.Sanchez was on top of his game after the early uncertainty, but he exited with the game tied at two after 86 pitches. In the process, he was slated with his second no-decision of the season. Despite not picking up his third win of the season, Sanchez showed no signs of a flu bug. He has displayed some solid consistency early in 2011, failing to give up more than three runs in any one start thus far. The 28-year old lefty has exceeded 100 pitches just once through five starts, and he continues to rack up solid strikeout numbers. 

Sanchez will try to keep it going in his next projected start, April 30 at Washington. He is 1-0 over two starts against the Nationals over the last three seasons, with a 4.22 ERA over 10.2 innings of work.

Lannan pitched well in his outing against the Pirates on Monday but he couldn't overcome one bad inning. He allowed four runs on five hits over 5.2 innings of work in the 4-2 loss. The left-hander made it through his first three frames unscathed before giving up a four-spot in the fourth. Lannan also struck out three and walked two while earning his second loss of the season. He gave up as many runs on Monday as he had in his previous two starts combined and raised his ERA from 3.43 to 4.05. The 26-year old has looked sharp early on this season and probably would have more wins if he were able to get some more run support. In one career start against San Francisco, Lannan allowed just one run on eight hits in seven innings of work.

Sunday: Matt Cain (2-1, 3.34) vs. Jordan Zimmermann (1-4, 4.55), 10:35 a.m. PDT, CSN Bay Area/KNBR 680 AM

Cain was charged with two runs on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts in six innings in the Giants' 3-2, 10-inning win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Cain bounced back from a start in Colorado where he allowed six runs in 4.2 innings. He's surrendered just four runs in his other four starts. Still, his pitch count has closed in on 100 before the seventh inning in his last three starts and that is something to be slightly concerned about. Still, we believe he's too good not to figure out how to keep his pitch count down in his next start.
Zimmermann earned his fourth loss of the season during Tuesday night's 6-4 win loss to the Mets. He allowed five runs and nine hits over 5.1 innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth inning. The right-hander allowed a pair of singles with one out, which prompted manger Jim Riggleman to make pitching change. However, reliever Doug Slaten was unable to keep the runners from scoring, who were both charged to Zimmermann. The 24-year old was not happy about being pulled after throwing just 73 pitches. He finished with one strikeout without issuing a walk. He is now 1-4 on the season. Zimmermann is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts against San Francisco.

Monday: Madison Bumgarner (0-4, 6.17) vs. Tom Gorzelanny (0-2, 3.97), 4:05 p.m. PDT, CSN Bay Area/KNBR 680 AM

Bumgarner remained winless despite allowing only one run and five hits in six innings as the Giants lost 2-0 to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. He cut his from 7.79 to 6.17, but the Giants lost for the fifth time in six games to fall below .500 at 11-12. Bumgarner has started the season 0-4 and the Giants have lost every time he's taken the hill and he hasn't finished seven full innings yet this season. 
The good news is this was his best start to date and is definitely something to build off. He'll get a chance to vie for his first win in his next outing on Monday.

Gorzelanny had his longest outing of the season Wednesday against the Mets, but it still wasn't enough to get him into the winner's column for the first time this season. He worked through 6.1 innings and gave up just one run, exiting while in line for the win. But the bullpen gave up the lead, and the Mets ended up doubling-up the Nats 6-3. Gorzelanny's only costly mistake was giving up a single to Justin Turner with a runner on third in the third inning. He would not face a more serious threat for the rest of the time he was on the hill. By the time he was pulled, Gorzelanny allowed a run on five scattered hits while striking out four batters and walking just one in his best outing of the season. It was just his second quality start of the year, and not coincidentally, his second no-decision as well. Gorzelanny hasn't struck out more than four batters since his season debut, and he hasn't given up more than five hits in any outing thus far. He will get a chance for his first win Monday against the Giants, a team he faced once last season and was slated with the no-decision. In that game, Gorzelanny allowed four runs in six innings of work.

Keys to the series:
Has Bumgarner righted his ship?The Nats' pitching staff is quite vulnerable so a trip to Nationals Ballpark may be just what the doctor ordered for the Giants hitters. Coming off a 10-hit attack Thursday in Pittsburgh will definitely help the team regain some confidence as they head to the nation's capitol.

With Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Bumgarner (who looked great in his last start) starting these four games, the Giants should be able to keep the young Nats hitters in check.

Expect more torture. Eighteen of San Francisco's 24 games this season have been decided by three runs or less.

The key to a successful series lies on the Giants' ability to grab an early lead. They are 8-4 when they score first and are 9-2 overall when they are leading after seven innings.

Prediction:
San Francisco will win three of the four games against the Nationals.

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Red Soxs Lester now 14-0 vs. Orioles (AP)

Jon Lester improved to 14-0 all-time against Baltimore with eight dominating innings, Dustin Pedroia hit a tiebreaking infield single and the Boston Red Sox averted a three-game sweep with a 6-2 victory over the Orioles on Thursday night. Lester (3-1) is unbeaten in 17 career starts versus the Orioles.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/04/29/red-soxs-lester-now-14-0-vs-orioles-ap/

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Atlanta Braves Win Series Against San Diego
Padres - Series Recap

After a tough loss in thirteen innings on Monday night, the Braves battled back to win the final two games in San Diego. Let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly from the series:

Good:

1st Inning Scoring - A Jason Heyward home run on Monday night, a Chipper Jones home run on Tuesday night, and a RBI groundout from Chipper on Wednesday afternoon. That'll work. Let's keep this trend up.

Chipper Jones Ties and Passes MIckey Mantle's RBI Total - Chipper now has the 2nd most RBIs of any switch hitter in history. If he's not a near-unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame on his first ballot, there is something seriously wrong with Cooperstown.

Jair Jurrjens Complete Game - Jair wasn't dominant on Tuesday night, but he gutted his way to the first complete game of his career. 

Tommy Hanson's 10 Strikeout Game - Not too much to say about this one. Tommy Hanson had full command of his four pitches and he made the Padres look silly at the plate.

David Ross - All the guy does is wait for his turn to start and he produces whenever he's called upon. Two homers on Tuesday night and he was great behind the plate as always.

Cory Gearrin - Cory made his Major League debut on Monday night, and he pitched the 8th inning of Wednesday's game. Three innings pitched, no hits, no walks, three strikeouts. He's earned himself a spot in the bullpen.

Bad:

Ryan Ludwick's Monday Night - The single-handedly beat the Braves behind two home runs. Boo this man.

Nate McLouth - 3-for-13, 5 K, 0 BB, 0 RBI

Dan Uggla - 2-for-12, 2 K, 1 BB, 0 RBI

Ugly:

Monday's Bullpen Management - This has already been discussed a ton. There's no need to beat an already dead horse, but Fredi Gonzalez really dropped the ball with his bullpen on Monday.

What's Next:

The Braves will kick off a 7-game home stand tomorrow night against the St. Louis Cardinals. It'll be Tim Hudson against Chris Carpenter for the first game of the series.

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New father Desmond helps Nats cool Mets (AP)

New father Ian Desmond homered and tripled in his first game back from paternity leave and Livan Hernandez pitched eight strong innings to lead the Washington Nationals past the New York Mets 4-3 Thursday night. Desmond’s solo home run in the fifth was his third of the season and it gave Washington a 4-2 lead.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2011/04/29/new-father-desmond-helps-nats-cool-mets-ap/

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McLouths Baby, Gisele and Buffalo Wings

I?ve been told by my better looking guy friends this axiom.  ?For every beautiful woman?there?s a guy that can?t wait to kick her to the curb?.  I guess Nate McLouth was the Priates? Bridget Moynahan.  Just like when I heard…[...]

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http://www.atlantabaseballtalk.com/mclouths-baby-gisele-and-buffalo-wings/

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