Nats pound Lee in 10-2 rout of Phillies (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 31 May 2011 11:32:26 PM. © MLB News Blog

This was an outing Cliff Lee would soon forget. The Philadelphia Phillies’ left-hander gave up six runs on seven hits in 5 1-3 innings, including a pair of home runs to Washington Nationals rookie second baseman Danny Espinosa, and the Nationals went on to rout the Phillies 10-2 Tuesday night. “I’d like to erase this [...]

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High & Inside: 5/31/11

post from Beyond the Box Score on 31 May 2011 11:03:52 PM. © Beyond the Box Score

Baseball links from around the sabersphere...Morneau's Early Struggles | Nick's Twins BlogIt's not that Morneau looks completely overmatched at the plate. He's not striking out a ton, which is encouraging and indicates that his hand-eye coordination[...]

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Win not in the Cards for Giants

post from 22gigantes on 31 May 2011 11:03:41 PM. © 22gigantes

Jon Jay and Albert Pujols hit back-to-back doubles and two batters later Allen Craig doubled as the St. Louis Cardinals scored three runs in the 8th inning to come from behind and beat the San Francisco Giants 4-3 Tuesday at Busch Stadium.

The Giants bullpen wasted another strong effort by starter Ryan Vogelsong, who went 5 innings and allowed just one run on six hits and two walks. Vogelsong lowered his ERA to 1.77, but he did not get the win.

Jeremy Affeldt tossed two perfect innings in the 6th and 7th and was relieved by the usually-steady Sergio Romo. But Romo couldn't get an out as Jay and Pujols touched him for the two-baggers. Javier Lopez relieved Romo and got Lance Berkman to ground out but then allowed a double to Allen and a single to Skip Schumacher and just like that Vogelsong's win was erased.

Rookie Brandon Crawford went 2-for-4 with a run scored and Cody Ross also had two hits and an RBI for the Giants.

Chris Carpenter lasted five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He also struck out eight batters in his eighth career start against the Giants.

Notes:

Vogelsong helped himself at the plate with an RBI ground out. That's five ribbies on the season -- the same amount Pat Burrell has in his last 31 games.
Cards' outfielder Matt Holliday was a late scratch for St. Louis. Craig played left field instead. Holliday did pinch hit for Carpenter in the 5th inning, but Vogelsong struck him out on three pitches.
Aaron Rowand (sore hip) said he's still a little sore. He pinch hit for Affeldt in the 8th inning and struck out.
Aubrey Huff, who has just six hits in his last 35 at bats (.171) was given the night off while Brandon Belt started at first base (he popped out to first base in a pinch hit appearance in the 6th inning). Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Huff needed a mental break. Asked if he's been over thinking things, Huff said, "Oh Christ, of course." Bochy says he may give Huff more than one day off.
Belt was hit by a pitch in the 7th inning and left the game in the 9th. He had precautionary x-rays taken on his left wrist after the game. It's being called a bruise for now.
Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval was excited after taking batting practice on the field for the first time in a month. He said there's no pain in the surgery area, just some tightness with the tendons. Bochy liked how Sandoval was driving the ball in BP. The Kung Fu Panda will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Fresno this weekend.
The Giants are 3-0 when Miguel Tejada bats second in the lineup. Miggy was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
San Francisco is 17-6 when they score four or more runs.

GAME SUMMARY
Final score:STL 4, SF 3 [view box score] [video highlights]Winning pitcher: Franklin (1-3)Losing pitcher:Lopez (2-1)Save: Salas (10)Game ball: Pujols (2-for-3, R, RBI, 2B) Top play: Pujols' RBI double in the 8th inning [watch video]Giant homers: noneGiants' record: 29-25, 2nd place, 1 game behind [full standings]Streak: Lost 1Next up: SF at STL, Wednesday, 5:15 p.m. PDT [download press pass]TV/Radio/Web: CSN Bay Area, KNBR 680 AM, sfgiants.comStarters: Tim Lincecum (5-4, 2.22) vs. Jake Westbrook (5-3, 5.19)Venue: Busch Stadium

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Belt injures wrist in loss to Cardinals

post from 22gigantes on 31 May 2011 11:03:41 PM. © 22gigantes

The injuries continue to mount for the San Francisco Giants.

Add rookie Brandon Belt's name to the ever-growing list of players hurt this season. Belt was hit in the left wrist during his at bat in the 7th inning. He winced in pain and then headed down to first base and stayed in the game.

However, by the time the 9th inning came around, Belt's wrist swelled up and he could not throw the ball. He was lifted for a pinch hitter (Emmanuel Burriss) in the top of the ninth inning with the tying run at second base and two outs. Burriss struck out to end the game.

Belt had x-rays taken on his wrist after the game. For now, the Giants are calling it a bruise.

The Giants have had 11 players spend time on the disabled list already this year. Mike Fontenot (left groin strain), Barry Zito (strained right foot), Mark DeRosa (strained left wrist), Pablo Sandoval (broken hamate bone), and Buster Posey (torn ankle ligaments, broken leg) are currently shelved with various ailments. Posey and DeRosa are both likely out for the year.

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White Sox win sixth straight at Fenway (AP)

post from MLB News Blog on 31 May 2011 11:02:25 PM. © MLB News Blog

The way he’s been pitching, a reporter told Phil Humber, people are starting to talk about him making the All-Star game. The White Sox right-hander just shook his head. “You don’t hear me talking about it,” he said after shutting the Boston batters down for seven innings Tuesday night to lead Chicago to a 10-7 [...]

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Pirates 5 Mets 1 May 31, 2011

post from The Mets Report on 31 May 2011 11:01:54 PM. © The Mets Report

The Mets got a tremendous game from R.A. Dickey pitching on a bad foot. He threw 7 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts but got hit in the eighth inning for 3 runs. Doing it on an injured foot was just a great effort. He didn’t get any support from the offense and didn’t deserve a ... Continue Reading

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I’ve Seen Enough of Jerry Sands…

post from LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, LA Dodger News, Dodger Minor League Reports and Dodger Rumors on 31 May 2011 11:01:46 PM. © LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, LA Dodger News, Dodger Minor League Reports and Dodger Rumors

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Amateur Draft Preview: Dillon Howard Searcy High
(AR)

post from The Crawfish Boxes on 31 May 2011 11:01:34 PM. © The Crawfish Boxes

Summary

As we've already discussed so many times leading up to the draft, there are so many pitchers worthy of an early first round pick. Dillon Howard is the perfect example of a pitcher who would possibly be a top ten pick in normal years, but this year could fall into the second half of the first or even into the supplemental round. Howard is from Searcy, AR which is about hour north of Little Rock and it's where I spent my four years of college and I never once took the time to go see him pitch. That's party because I didn't start doing any type research into this year's draft until I moved to Nashville last year.

Howard may not be quite as projectable as the high school pitchers we are accustomed to because he already fairly thick at slightly over 200 pounds on his 6'3 frame. He'll still put on some more weight but he isn't as projectable as our Jordan Lyles, Tanner Bushue, and Michael Foltynewicz. But, he may not need much more weight on his body to be the type of pitcher he projects to be.

His stuff starts with his already above average-plus fastball that sits 90-94 but can crank it up to legitimate mid-90's and will do so more frequently as he adds the little weight he can. It's not a straight fastball either as it has good sink and run to make it a true swing-and-miss offering. As for his secondary offerings, that's when scouts start to disagree on Howard. His throws a curveball that has good depth but it's a little slurvy at this point and he struggles to throw it consistently for strikes. He has a good feel for his changeup, but as with any high schooler, it can be inconsistent.

Being that he already does have good weight on his frame and has clean classic mechanics, he's not a high injury risk. He's athletic and his easy mechanics allow for him to be consistent in his delivery and surprisingly good control for his stuff (besides the curve).

Ceiling

With a lack of any familiarity with a fourth pitch, his ceiling is a little up in the air. It's not hard to project ace type upside with a hard fastball with good movement that goes along with a curve that if tightened up can be an above average pitch. Those two pitches, if become strikeout pitches, along with an average changeup makes a mid to frontline starter. The question is whether he'll have a feel for a splitter, cutter, slider, anything at the next level to make him a true front-line guy. So, we're probably seeing a #2 type upside with potential to be an ace.

Floor

His floor is probably something along the lines of middle reliever or set-up guy primarily because of his strong fastball. If he's never able to tighten up his curve and has to rely on that and a changeup as a show me pitch to keep hitters honest, he won't last in the rotation. It's possible that he could be a Bud Norris type guy where people consistently question his third offering and whether or not he's more valuable in the late innings or in the rotation.

Will the Astros pick him? If so, where?

It's a little doubtable at this point as he is projected so far back into the late half of the first round to supplemental, because of who else is available, I doubt he gets picked in the first round by Bobby Heck. Reports are that Houson loves several of the pitchers who are going to be available still that it's hard to see it. But, if his commitment to University of Arkansas scares enough teams off, he could sneak into the late part of the supplemental round to early second. With the amount of supp. picks this year, I don't think we'll see him last until the second.

Where is he projected to go right now?

Keith Law has him at No. 25 to the Padres

Deep Leagues has him at No. 30 to the Twins

Jonothan Mayo has him at No. 22 to the Cardinals

Perfect Game doesn't have him in the first round

Baseball America has him at NO. 29 to the Giants

John Sickels has him at No. 28 to the Braves

Bibliography (Scouting Reports and Video)

Below the jump...

MLB.com

The Arkansas product has a fastball that will be plus, touching 95 mph at times. It's not straight, either, with both sink and run to it. His hard curve, 78-80 mph, is a little slurvy now and is fringy average, but it's got some depth to it and will be more than fine. He's even got a good feel for a changeup, an offspeed pitch that should be a Major League average pitch as well.

John Sickels says:

Certain first round pick in most drafts, but might go a bit lower this year given the depth in power arms. 92-94 MPH fastball, good slider and an excellent changeup, smooth delivery when it is going well but there are reports of some mechanical inconsistency.

Keith Law says:

He sits in the 90-94 range but will show you a 95 or a 96, with the definite physical potential to sit in the mid-90s when he fills out. He can get caught between a slider and curveball but has the wrist action to spin a good curveball given more consistent release. Howard has a clean, classic delivery, with a very high leg kick, a moderate stride, and good shoulder tilt, with a repeatable arm action that has him turning his pitching hand over early. He's largely projection and arm strength, but his delivery is clean, repeatable and very promising

Sorry, no video that I could find.

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Astros rip Marmol for 6 in 9th, top Cubs (AP)

Cubs closer Carlos Marmol blew his third save of the season, allowing six runs in the ninth inning as the Houston Astros beat Chicago 7-3 on Tuesday night. Matt Downs’ pinch-hit, two-run double tied the game and Michael Bourn singled in the go-ahead run off Marmol (1-2). Hunter Pence added a three-run shot for the [...]

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Cards score 3 in 8th to rally by Giants (AP)

Skip Schumaker’s infield RBI hit capped a three-run eighth inning, taking tough-luck Chris Carpenter off the hook in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night. Albert Pujols and Allen Craig hit RBI doubles in the eighth before Schumaker, who had been in a 2-for-19 slump, got the go-ahead [...]

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