Inter-League O-o-T-S

[Frayed Knot]

- Cubs leading Yanx 3-0 end of 5th
I don't want to say that the TV folks are excited about this series, but this game is on MLBN today, FOX tomorrow, and ESPN on Sunday

- Florida is in Tampa for the weekend
- Philly is renewing their traditional rival with the Mariners out on the left coast. Oswalt vs. Pineda tonight
- Atlanta hosts Texas. Hopefully the Rangers remember how to hit because they sure forgot while facing a bunch of no-names in the Yanx staff
- Washington plays host to the Orioles

Elsewhere:
SF & Oak renew the Bay series; KC @ StL for Missouri bragging rights
also Pitt at Cleveland; Milwaukee @ Boston (are they still pretending this is a rivalry because the Braves only left Mass six decades ago?); Padres @ Minn; Jays @ Cincy; Tigers in Colorado; ChiSox @ Arizona

Astros and Dodgers play the lone NL series.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

MFYs lose 3-1!

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: MFYs lose 3-1!

It never gets old, great news.

[Frayed Knot]

I was so disgusted with last night's game that I didn't even look at the rest of the scores until like right now.
The Nats managed to gain a game on the entire East (and tie us in the process) as they're the only ones who won.

In fact most of the NL lost last night - Cubs, DBacks & Rox joined the Nats - as the AL went 10-4.


Phils have to deal with King Felix in Seattle tonight.

[Frayed Knot]

Amid speculation that his job was in jeopardy, Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez resigned prior to Sunday's game ... and then the Marlins promptly went out and lost again to the cross-state Rays. At least they were close this time: 2-1 on a complete game 4-hitter by James Shields.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Rumours of Jack McKeon coming out of retirement for that job.

[metirish]

Edgy DC wrote: Rumours of Jack McKeon coming out of retirement for that job.

Buster_ESPN Sources: Jack McKeon is expected to be the next manager of the Florida Marlins. At age 80, oldest manager ever, other than Connie Mack.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

The Marlins are a joke.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: The Marlins are a joke.

this is not breaking news.

[metirish]

RT @joecapMARLINS: Jack McKeon's first move in his return as #Marlins manager: Bench late arriving Hanley Ramirez

[Fman99]

I will make Interleague play suck my ass.

[Frayed Knot]

A few notes and oddities from last night:

- We lost ground to the entire NL East yesterday and the NL as a whole actually won a night, going 10-4, after getting its ass kicked over the weekend.
Even Florida won a game.

- The Nats scored 5 in the 9th after 2 were out to beat the Mariners.
They started the inning by getting two on but Ryan Zimmerman rolled into a DP and you figure it's over. But then 3 straight singles then a 3R HR by Wilson Ramos and they're doing to home-plate bounce. That's 9 of 10 for them and what seems like their 10th walk-off of the year (probably not that many but it feels like it).

- SF's Madison Bumgarner gave up 8 runs on 9 hits in just 1/3 of an inning to Minnesota - and managed to do it all on just 25 pitches (and 22 strikes for whatever that's worth):
SINGLE - DOUBLE - SINGLE - DOUBLE - SINGLE - DOUBLE - SINGLE - DOUBLE - K - DOUBLE
As Charley once said to Terry: "Kid, it's not your night"

- Kyle McClennan was having a nice night for the Cards; tied in a 1-1 game with Halladay and the Phils, he's pulled for a PH in the bottom of the 7th and the PH singles which sets up the go-ahead run and puts him in position for the win.
Except that his bullpen proceeded to cough up a 9-spot in the 8th, a feat which included two Bases-loaded walks and two bases-loaded HBPs

[Frayed Knot]

Only other gay dame in today's abbreviated sked has the Mariners at the (now .500) Nats.
They're already in the 7th there, in large part because Jason Marquis and rookie Michael Pineda* are tossing dueling 3-hit shut-outs.




* I had no idea how big this guy is - 6' 7" - 260

[bmfc1]

Nationals lineup: Marquis batting 8th, Ian Desmond 9th.

[metirish]

Marquis de Sade Desmond

[Guest Edgy DC]

Going to the ninth, scoreless.

[Frayed Knot]

bmfc1 wrote: Nationals lineup: Marquis batting 8th, Ian Desmond 9th.

I think they've been doing that for a while.

Anyway, Nats load the bases in the 9th, then get a one-out Sac Fly for the win.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Reyes with an RBI single.

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Reyes with an RBI single.

does it still count if it's the wrong thread?

[G-Fafif]

metirish wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Reyes with an RBI single. does it still count if it's the wrong thread?

Take notice, rest of baseball!

[Ceetar]

The Giambino crushes one into the bleacher creatures to tie the game at one. supposedly some Yankees fans applauded.

Here's home Tulo continues his NY-killing ways.

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: Here's home Tulo continues his NY-killing ways.

Yeah, against he hits 4 HRs in 4 games.
In the Bronx he hits into bases-loaded GiDPs.

Thanks a lot asshole!

[Frayed Knot]

Rox win in Bronx 4-2

Phils score in the 9th to beat A's 1-0

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Hell of a game in Chicago, as:

-- Jordan Zimmermann and Edwin Jackson match zeroes and strikeouts for seven scoreless.

--The Nats push two across in the 8th (on a Morse homer) and one in the 9th, before handing the game over to closer Drew Storen...

--... who promptly gives up two seeing-eye base hits, then a three-run boomer to Mark Teahen.

--Sox closer Sergio Santos gives up a go-ahead shot in the top of the 10th to Laynce Nix.

--Then, fueled by a one-out double from ex-Nat Adam Dunn, the Sox load the bases, then push the tying run across on a wild pitch. With one out, they proceed to strand all remaining runners. We're on to the 11th, tied at 4.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Hell of a game in Chicago, as: -- Jordan Zimmermann and Edwin Jackson match zeroes and strikeouts for seven scoreless. --The Nats push two across in the 8th (on a Morse homer) and one in the 9th, before handing the game over to closer Drew Storen... --... who promptly gives up two seeing-eye base hits, then a three-run boomer to Mark Teahen. --Sox closer Sergio Santos gives up a go-ahead shot in the top of the 10th to Laynce Nix. --Then, fueled by a one-out double from ex-Nat Adam Dunn, the Sox load the bases, then push the tying run across on a wild pitch. With one out, they proceed to strand all remaining runners. We're on to the 11th, tied at 4.

Went to check how this ended. Nat's take a one run lead in the 12th.

Brian Bixler doubles (1) on a line drive to right fielder Brent Lillibridge. Laynce Nix scores. Wilson Ramos to 3rd.

but A. J. Pierzynski homers (3) on a line drive to right field in the bottom of the inning, with 2 out and 2 strikes, off Tyler Clippard.

Top of the 14th, two outs,

Ian Desmond reaches on throwing error by shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Brian Bixler scores. Ian Desmond to 2nd.

for the go-ahead run. Bixler had stolen second and scored from there on this error, which I presume must've been at best in the hole that Ramirez smothered and wouldn't have scored a run. Nats score three more, Ramirez leads off the bottom of the inning but makes out.

[Ceetar]

edit: nope, easy routine ball. Fields it going to his left, so it's not even a long throw. throws it in the dirt and gets away from the 1bman.

[Frayed Knot]

fwiw, the IL scoreboard currently sits at 88-80 in favor of the AL



And from the 'You don't see this everyday' file, the Mariners playing their "home" game in the furthest ML city from south Florida wasn't the strangest part of the game.

With the game tied in the 10th and a runner on 3rd w/one out, Jack McKeon calls for an intentional walk. Problem was that Marlins' pitcher Steven Chisek (yeah, I don't know him either) threw the second pitch of the IW to the backstop allowing the tie-breaking run to score. Seeing as how Seattle was the road team the Marlins did still have the opportunity to bat again and re-tie the score (they failed) so it was the eventual winning run. In fact, once the WP was thrown the strategy changed and Cishek went on to strike-out the guy he was trying to walk and then got out of the inning.

Not quite as dramatic as had it been a walk-off/wild-pitch during an IW, but fun anyway. It's also ammo against those who want to shorten the game by 20 seconds by making IWs "automatic" (just wave him to 1st base) because, as Jauquin Andujar used to say when asked to sum up baseball in one word ... juneberno.

[Fman99]

I hate travel days.