Ballet In The Dirt- A Philadelphia Phillies Dynasty

[PhillieFever]

At
April 20th-22nd, 2010
Turner Field, Atlanta, Ga.

April 19th- Off Day

April 20th- Braves-9 Phillies-3
Phillies starter JA Happ was totally ineffective, failing to make it out of the 4th inning as the Atlanta Braves teed off at will on their way to an easy 9-3 victory. Chipper Jones and troy Glaus led the way, white Jones homering and knocking in two, and Glaus doubling twice and knocking in three. Braves starter Tommy Hanson was good enough, lasting 6 innings while allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and 5 walks with 8 strikeouts.
WP- Tommy Hanson(2-1) LP-JA Happ(1-1) HR-Atl, Chipper Jones(5), Omar Infante(1), Matt Diaz(1) Phi, Shane Victorino(1)

April 21st- Braves-5 Phillies-3 (11 Innings)
Thanks to a sterling performance by the surprising Kyle Kendrick, the Phillies took a 3-1 lead into the 9th inning, but the Braves, facing Phils closer Ryan Madson battled back, getting a single from Chipper Jones that was followed immediately by a Brian McCann 2 run homer which sent the game to extra innings, where McCann struck again, homering off of JC Romero in the bottom of the 11th, giving the Braves a stunning 5-3 victory.
WP- Billy Wagner(1-0) LP- Danys Baez(0-1) HR-Atl, Brian McCann 2(3) Phi, Shane Victorino(2)

April 22nd- Phillies-12 Braves-8
In a wild one here at Turner Field, Phillies slugger Ryan Howard went 3 for 3 with a double, a homer, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored, while Raul Ibanez and Jimmy Rollins added 2 hits and 3 RBI each, as the Phillies denied the Braves of a sweep, outlasting them 12-8. On the mound, Phillies starter Roy Halladay won for the 4th straight time to start the season, despite allowing 6 runs on 9 hits in just 5 innings pitched. Chipper Jones homered twice and knocked in 4 for the Braves
WP- Roy Halladay(4-0) LP- Kenshin Kawakami(0-2) HR-Phi, Ryan Howard(6) Atl, Chipper Jones 2(7), Melky Cabrera(1)

MLB News And Notes

The Minnesota Twins and relief pitcher Jesse Crain have agreed to terms on a 3 year contract extension worth a total of $7,590,000

The Tampa Bay Rays will have to do without the services of star 1B Carlos Pena for up to 4 months, after an ugly slide attempt left him with a fractured fibula. The injury was eerily similar to the one suffered by Reggie Jackson in the 1972 ALCS

For the 2nd straight year, the New York Mets have been bitten hard by the injury bug. In successive days, they've lost RF Jeff Francour and 2B Luis Castillo. Francour with a broken hand, will be out for 4 months, and Castillo with a strained oblique will be out for 5 weeks.

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be without reliever Chad Bradford for up to 4 months with a torn labrum.

Red Sox RF J.D. Drew will be out for 5-6 weeks with a strained oblique.

MLB Standings

[PhillieFever]

At
April 23rd- 25th, 2010
Chase Field, Phoenix, Az.

April 23rd- Phillies-4 Diamondbacks-3
After falling behind 3-1 after 7, the Phillies battled back, scoring 3 runs in the 8th on an RBI single by Shane Victorino and a two run pinch hit single by Ross Gload, on their way to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels was solid throughout, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 9 in 7 innings pitched. Justin Upton homered twice for Arizona.
WP-Cole Hamels(1-2) LP-Bob Howry(1-1) S-Ryan Madson(3) HR-Arz, Justin Upton 2(6)

April 24th- Diamondbacks-5 Phillies-2
Diamondbacks 3B Mark Reynolds blasted two run homers in the 6th and 8th innings, sparking his team to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Phillies. Starting pitcher Edwin Jackson twirled 7 effective innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits, while walking 2 and striking out 6. Chase Utley had two hits and 2 RBI for the Phils.
WP-Edwin Jackson(2-1) LP-Jamie Moyer(2-1) S-Chad Qualls(5) HR-Arz, Mark Reynolds 2(7)

April 25th- Phillies-7 Diamondbacks-1
In the rubber match, Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins showed signs of breaking out of his slump, going 3 for 5 with a double, a stolen base, an RBI and 3 runs scored, leading the Phils to a convincing 7-1 victory over Arizona. Chase Utley and Shane Victorino also chipped in, with Utley knocking in 3, and Victorino 2.
WP-JA Happ(2-1) LP-Jarrod Washburn(1-2) HR-None

Around The Bases

After a slow start to the season, the Chicago White Sox have finally hit their stride, winning 5 straight to move within 1 game of .500 at 9-10.

In a sparkling performance on Friday, the Yankees Javier Vazquez held the Angels to just 2 hits while striking out 10 in a complete game 4-0 victory. Derek Jeter and A-Rod each had homers for New York.

Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez will be out for 3 weeks with a strained biceps, suffered in Friday's game against Colorado.

Pirates 2B Akinori Iwamura will be out of action for up to 6 weeks with a strained abdominal muscle.

23 year old Reds RF Jay Bruce has been suspended for 4 games by the league for a profanity laced tirade directed at umpire CB Bucknor.

The Boston Red Sox and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield have come to terms on a 1 year extension worth $1,545,000

Oakland LF Eric Patterson went on a rampage on Sunday, going 5 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBI, leading the Athletics to a 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

White Sox LF Juan Pierre has been diagnosed with a fractured right foot and will be out for 6-7 weeks.

Oakland SP Ben Sheets has a tender elbow and will be out for 2 weeks.

Dodgers 1B Ronnie Belliard will be out for 2 weeks with grade I elbow strain.

MLB Standings

[PhillieFever]

Youkilis And Reynolds Collect Player Of The Week Honors

[PhillieFever]

At
AT&T Park, San Francisco, Ca.
April 26th-28th, 2010

April 26th- Giants-4 Phillies-1
In game one of three in San Francisco, the Phillies could do nothing with Giants starter Tim Lincecum, who held the Fightins' to a run on 3 hits while striking out 10 in a 4 to 1 Giants victory. Pablo Sandoval paced the San Fran offense, going 3 for 4 with a homer and 2 RBI.
WP-Tim Lincecum(2-3) LP-Kyle Kendrick(2-1) S-Jeremy Affeldt(3) HR-SFG, Pablo Sandoval(7), Freddy Sanchez(1)

April 27th- Phillies-9 Giants-2
Clinging to a 3-2 lead after 6, the Phillies exploded for 3 in the 7th and 3 in the 8th to defeat the Giants in a rout 9-2. Raul Ibanez led the Phillies attack, going 3 for 5 with a homer, 4 RBI and a run scored. Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz added two hits each. SP Roy Halladay battled his way through a tough performance, allowing 11 hits but just 2 runs in 6 innings pitched, his record improves to 5-0.
WP-Roy Halladay(5-0) LP-Barry Zito(1-3) HR-Phi, Raul Ibanez(4), Chase Utley(4)

April 28th- Phillies-13 Giants-2
Picking up right where they left off yesterday, the Phillies pounded Giants pitchers early and often, collecting 18 hits in a 13-2 rout here at AT&T Park. Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez had 3 hits and 4 RBI each, with Victorino homering twice and Ibanez once. SP Cole Hamels pitched his first complete game of the season, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, while walking 2 and striking out 9.
WP-Cole Hamels(2-2) LP-Todd Wellemeyer(0-3) HR-Phi, Shane Victorino 2(4), Raul Ibanez(5)

April 29th- Travel Day

Around The Bases

Thanks to very poor starting pitching, the Atlanta Braves have lost 8 straight, putting them in the basement of the highly competitive NL East

In the AL West, the Texas Rangers have turned their AL Best 3.27 earned run average into a 15-7 record, good enough for a 5 and a half game lead in the division, biggest in the Bigs.

The Marlins claimed 3B Geoff Blum off waivers from Houston

Red Sox SP Daisuke Matsusaka strained his left hamstring on Monday, he'll be out for about 3 months.

White Sox reliever JJ Putz requires surgery to remove scar tissue from his throwing shoulder, he'll be out until September.

Indians RF Shin-Soo Choo ruptured a tendon in his left foot, he'll be out of action for up to 6 months, possibly ending his season.

The Milwaukee Brewers signed 2B Craig Counsell to a one year contract extension worth $2,163,000

The Cleveland Indians claimed 3B Dallas McPherson off waivers from the Oakland Athletics.

Royals reliever Eddie Guardado will be out for two months with a shoulder impingement

Tigers RF Magglio Ordonez will be out for about 2 weeks with a lateral elbow contusion.

Twins SP Kevin Slowey will miss a start or two due to elbow soreness.

The Kansas Ciy Royals have signed free agent pitcher Odalis Perez to a one year deal worth $400,000

MLB Standings

[PhillieFever]

At
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.
April 30th- May 2nd, 2010

April 30th- Phillies-8 Mets-2
Up against the rival Mets for the first time this season, the Phillies did what they do best, bashing 10 hits, including 4 round trippers on their way to an easy 8-2 victory. Slumping RF Jayson Werth led the Philadelphia attack, going 2 for 4 with 2 homers, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored, while SP Joe Blanton, making his first start of the season pitched 7 strong, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 6.
WP-Joe Blanton(1-0) LP-Mike Pelfrey(2-2) HR-NYM, Fernando Tatis(2) Phi, Jayson Werth 2(7), Raul Ibanez(6), Chase Utley(5)

May 1st- Mets-5 Phillies-4
In what turned out to be the best game of the series, the Phillies rallied late to tie the game at 4-4 heading into the 9th, where a two out RBI single by Gary Matthews Jr. gave the Mets a hard fought 5-4 victory. Closer Francisco Rodriduez was dominant in the bottom half of the 9th inning, striking out Ross Gload, Placido Polanco, and Chase Utley to nail down his 4th save of the season.
WP-Oliver Perez(2-0) LP-JC Romero(0-1) S-Francisco Rodriguez(4) HR-NYM, Carlos Beltran(2) Phi, Jimmy Rollins(2)

May 2nd- Phillies-13 Mets-2
The rubber match of the series was all Philadelphia, who's bats punished Mets pitchers in a 13-2 demolishing. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Raul Ibanez each had 2 hits and 2 RBI apiece, allowing starting pitcher Roy Halladay to cruise to his ML leading 6th victory of the season.
WP-Roy Halladay(6-0) LP-Jon Niese(0-3) HR-Phi, Ryan Howard(7), Raul Ibanez(7)

Around The Bases

In the midst of another losing streak, the White Sox were pounded by the Yankees on Saturday, falling by the score of 14-6. In the game, the Yankees pounded out 21 hits, with Nick Swisher leading the way, going 5 for 5 with a double, a homer, an RBI and 3 runs scored.

The New York Mets will be without LF Jason Bay for around 3 weeks, due to a sprained right ankle.

Red Sox 3B Adrian Beltre will be out of action for 3 months, after suffering a strained hamstring against Baltimore.

Twins LF Jason Kubel has been suspended by the league office for 4 games, after bumping home plate umpire Gerry Davis.

The Washington Nationals will be without the services of reliever Sean Burnett for up to 4 months due to a fractured left elbow.

In his first year as a starter, 27 year old Cardinals right hander Blake Hawksworth fired a no hitter at the Cincinnati Reds today, leading the Cardinals to a 5-0 victory. In the no-no, Hawksworth struck out 6 batters and walked just 2, while facing just 29 batters the entire game.

MLB Standings

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MLB Rookies Of The Month For April 2010

[PhillieFever]

MLB Hitters Of The Month For April 2010

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MLB Pitchers Of The Month For April 2010

[PhillieFever]

MLB Players Of The Week, For Week Ending May 2, 2010

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American League Batting And Pitching Leaders

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National League Batting And Pitching Leaders

[PhillieFever]

Week In Review

In an early week showdown between two of the National League's best teams, the St Louis Cardinals went into Citizens Bank Park and took 3 out of 4 from the Phillies, with the only loss of the series coming at the hands of Roy Halladay(7-0 3.03 ERA), who won his 7th straight decision.

After a slow start to the season, the Boston red Sox have finally begun to heat up, winning 5 of their last 6 games, including a weekend sweep of the Yankees. At present the Sox find themselves 3 games behind the first place Bombers.

With a record of 20-12, the Washington Nationals continue to be the talk of baseball, and for good reason, free agent acquisition Jason Marquis(5-0 2.22 ERA) has been nothing short of spectacular on the hill, while Josh Willingham(.311 10 HR 22 RBI) and Adam Dunn(.275 12 HR 29 RBI) continue to pace an offense that ranks 3rd in the NL in runs scored.

After a very slow start, the Los Angeles Dodgers have rocketed into first place in the NL West, winning 9 of their last 10, including a mid-week sweep of the struggling Brewers.

The Week's Top Performances

Yankees ace CC Sabathia started the week off with a bang, striking out 10 in a complete game 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles

On Tuesday, the duo of BJ Upton and Kelly Shoppach wreaked havoc for the Rays, combining to go 7 for 9 with a double, 2 homers, and 11 RBI in a 15-2 drubbing of the Mariners.

In a bit of revenge on Wednesday, the Mariners' Cliff Lee tossed a complete game 5-0 shutout at the Rays, allowing just 5 hits while fanning 9.

On Friday, Braves catcher Brian McCann just raked the Phillies, going 4 for 5 with a double, a homer, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored in a wild 12-10 Atlanta victory.

On Saturday, Jays 2B Aaron Hill helped power his team to a 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox, going 2 for 3 with 2 homers, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored.

Players Of The Week

In the NL, the Phillies Ryan Howard continued his early season hot streak, going .444 with 7 homers and 15 RBI this week, making him the easy choice for NL player of the week.

In the American League, 33 year old Royals RF Jose Guillen has been named the AL player of the week, thanks to a week in which he went 12 for 24, with 3 homers and 9 RBI.

MLB Transactions

The Kansas City Royals signed free agent pitcher Pedro Martinez to a 1 year deal worth $400,000

MLB Injuries Of Note

Tigers SP Max Scherzer has been diagnosed with a torn labrum, he'll be out for at least 12 months.

Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano will be out for about a month with a strained right groin.

Diamondbacks reliever Aaron Heilman will be out for 9-10 months with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow.

Angels LF Hideki Matsui has tendinitis in his wrist and will be out for about 3 weeks.

Rays reliever Lance Cormier will be out for 4 months with a finger avulsion.

Royals SP Odalis Perez is done for the year with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

Astros catcher JR Towles suffered a torn PCL in his right knee, and will be out of action for 9-10 months.

Giants reliever Sergio Romo will be out for 3-4 months with a severely strained abdominal muscle.

Braves 2B Martin Prado is done for the year with a fractured knee cap.

Angels reliever Fernando Rodney will be out for 2 months with a partially torn labrum.

Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami has a strained groin and will be out for 3 months.

Giants 2B Juan Uribe will be out for 3-4 weeks with a sprained right wrist.

Padres 3B Oscar Salazar has a herniated disk in his neck and will be out about a month.

Padres 3B Chase Headley suffered a strained hamstring and will be out for 6 weeks.

MLB Standings

[PhillieFever]

For those who are curious, in the game, as of May 11th there are 86 players on the DL league wide. In the real MLB as of today, there are 123 players on the disabled list. So overall, I'm pretty happy with the ratio.

[PhillieFever]

Due to a minor snafu with the injury file, several players who'd had injuries of 3 months or longer now have injuries of much shorter terms. There were roughly 15-20 players affected, so if you see a guy in the reports who you thought was out, that's why.

[PhillieFever]

Week Ending May 16th, 2010

Week In Review

American League

Following last weekend's sweep of the Yankees, the Boston Red Sox continued their torrid play, winning 5 out of 6 this week, to give them 13 wins in their last 17 games, it still wasn't enough however to overtake New York, who remain in first with an AL best 26-11 record. In Tampa Bay, the Rays continue to underachieve, and now find themselves a whopping 10 games behind the Yankees.

In the ultra competitive Central division, the KC Royals find themselves in first place, following a week in which they took two of three from Cleveland before sweeping Chicago over the weekend to improve their record to 20-18, one half game better than both Minnesota and Detroit. The White Sox continue to struggle on the road, losing 4 of 5 away from The Cell this week to drop their road record to a dismal 3-15.

In the West, the Texas Rangers have thus far proven to be the class of the division, thanks in part to their surprisingly stout starting pitching, which leads the AL with a 3.90 team ERA. Pacing the Rangers staff, is 29 year old lefty CJ Wilson, who is 5-0 with a 2.63 ERA

National League

Missing both Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, the Phillies forged ahead, splitting their six games in Colorado and Milwaukee to end the week with a slim half game lead over Washington in the battle for supremacy in the NL East. In Atlanta however, the Braves have been tremendous as of late, winning 6 straight and 9 of 11, improving their record to 18-19, four games behind the Phils.

Despite losing 6 of their last 10, the Cardinals still hold a comfortable 6 game lead in the NL Central, thanks to an offense that leads the league in hitting at .278, and a pitching staff with an ERA of 3.42, good enough for 2nd in the league.

Out West, the Dodgers have assumed command, building a 4 and a half game lead on Colrado and San Francisco, thanks to a record of 13-3 in their last 16.

TWIB Notes

Despite losing 5 straight, Cubs fans had something to cheer on Monday, when 34 year old 1B Derrick Lee cracked his 300th career homer, leading the Cubs to their lone victory of the week, an 8-3 triumph over Florida.

Also dialed in on Monday, was the Dodgers James Loney, who went 5 for 6 with a double and 3 RBI in a 14-3 pounding of the Diamondbacks.

Following an ugly benches clearing brawl on Monday, precipitated by the beaning of the Phillies Ryan Howard by the Rockies Greg Smith, the National League took the hard line, suspending both Howard and Smith for 10 games each. Howard had been on fire prior to the suspension, batting .345 with 12 homers and 39 RBI, while Smith had a record of 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA.

Braves starter Derrick Lowe was tremendous on Tuesday, going the distance while allowing an unearned run on 2 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 11 in the Braves 11-1 pounding of lowly Milwaukee.

23 year old Reds RF Jay Bruce put on quite a show on Wednesday, going 3 for 5 with 2 homers, 5 RBI, and 2 runs scored, in the Reds 9-2 victory over division rival Pittsburgh.

In a tremendous pitcher's duel on Thursday, the Rangers Colby Lewis out dueled the Athletics Chad Gaudin, defeating the former Yankee by the score of 1-0. Lewis went the route, allowing just 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 1.

Tigers RF Magglio Ordonez reached an important milestone on Saturday, collecting his 2,000th hit in a 9-4 loss to Boston. For his career, Ordonez is a .312 hitter, with 404 doubles, 21 triples, 278 homers, 1157 RBI, and 999 runs scored.

Capping off the week with a brilliant performance, Toronto's Adam Lind cracked 3 homers on Sunday, leading the Blue Jays to an 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers.

MLB Players Of The Week

In the National League, a battle tested Manny Ramirez declared war on opposing pitchers last week, collecting 11 hits in 21 at bats(.524), with 2 homers, 5 RBI, and 5 runs scored. For his efforts, he's been named the National League player of the week.

In the AL, Angels 1B Kendry Morales put up some exceptional numbers last week, batting .481 with 6 homers and 11 RBI, earning himself the American League player of the week honors.

MLB Standings

[PhillieFever]

2010 To Be Final Year Of Interleague Play!

New York, NY- Citing unfair scheduling advantages, Major League Baseball owners have decided to scrap interleague play beginning in 2011. Since 1997, the American and National Leagues have gotten together to play between 15-18 games against their perspective rival league, but as of late, many teams have begun to squawk, claiming that certain teams were being given scheduling advantages due to "natural rivalries," and since no compromise could be reached on this issue, the owners have voted to scrap interleague play all together. Stay tuned...

[PhillieFever]

Week Ending May 23rd, 2010

Week In Review

American League

In the East, the Yankees dropped 3 of 4 to Boston and Tampa early on, but a weekend sweep of the Mets coupled with Boston dropping 2 of 3 to the Phillies allowed the Bombers to hold serve, and remain 2 and a half games ahead of the Red Sox. As for the Rays, they've finally gotten to .500, thanks to 6 wins in their last 7, which leaves them 8 games behind New York.

In the Central, the Royals reign was short lived, thanks to a week in which they dropped 4 of their last 6, leaving the door opened for the Tigers who kicked it in, taking 5 of their last 6 to end the week with a game and a half lead on KC. The Twins also struggled this week, dropping 4 of their last 6 to fall 2 games back.

In the Western division, the Rangers remained 4 and a half in front, with Oakland leap frogging Seattle to move into 2nd. In LA, the Angels were swept over the weekend by the Cardinals, and remain 5 and a half back.

National League

Despite a week in which they went just 4-3, the Phillies actually increased their lead in the division, moving a game and a half in front of Washington who are showing signs of coming back to earth. In New York, the Mets have gone into free fall, losing 10 of 14 to fall 9 and a half games back, in last place.

In the Central, the Cardinals are just unconscious, they lead the division by a whopping 10 games over 2nd place Chicago with a record of 34-11, easily the best record in the National League. This week, the Cardinals won all 7 of their games, taking two each from Washington and Florida early in the week, before sweeping the Angels in a three game series over the weekend.

Finally in the West, the Rockies and Giants inched a little closer to the first place Dodgers, with both teams closing the gap to 3 and a half games back.

TWIB Notes

Kuroda Injured
Hard throwing Dodgers reliever Hiroki Kuroda sustained an oblique strain early last week, and will be out of action for up to 5 weeks.

Beckett Out For Season
The Boston Red Sox will be without starting pitcher Josh Beckett for the rest of the season and then some, due to a torn flexor tendon suffered against the Yankees on Tuesday. Recovery is expected to take at least a year.

Hoffman Saves #600
Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman, already the MLB career leader in saves, has gone where no man has gone before, collecting save #600 in the Brewers 7-6 victory over the Pirates on Wednesday. The milestone save was classic Hoffman, who retired the Pirates in order, with Lastings Milledge striking out to end the game.

Cabrera Batters Oakland
Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera pounded Oakland pitching on Wednesday, going 5 for 5 with 2 doubles, an RBI, and 2 runs scored in Detroit's 14-7 victory.

Phils Sign Barnwell
The Philadelphia Phillies have signed free agent SS Chris Barnwell to a minor league contract, sending him to AAA Lehigh Valley.

Snyder Shipped To Detroit
The Arizona Diamondbacks have traded 29 year old catcher Chris Snyder to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for 19 year old minor league SS Daniel Fields. In his first at bat with the Tigers, Snyder made the most of it, homering off of Ronald Belisario in a 7-6 loss to the Dodgers.

Lee Signs 3 Year Extension
The Chicago Cubs and star 1B Derrick Lee have come to terms on a 3 year contract extension worth a total of $46,500,000

Jeter And Cano Injured
The New York Yankees had a tough day on Friday, losing bot Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter to injuries. Cano, will be out for about two weeks with a strained quad, as for the captain, his injury is a little more serious. Derek will be out for about 8 weeks with a partially torn labrum.

Konerko Launches 3
White Sox 1B Paul Konerko feasted on Marlin on Friday, homering in his first 3 at bats, on his way to a 3 homer 6 RBI day, as Chicago defeated Florida 13-12 in a slugfest at The Cell.

Brewers Davis Hurls No Hitter!
In a stunning performance here at Target Field, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Doug Davis has no hit the Minnesota Twins, defeating them by the score of 3-0. During the historic performance, Davis was effectively wild, walking 5 while also striking out 7. Said Davis after the game "I'm so elated, all night long I battled my control, luckily though, the guys made the plays behind me and we were able to get it done"

Dodgers Ortiz Suffers Injury
35 year old Dodgers pitcher Russ Ortiz has been victimized by an inflamed shoulder, which will keep him out of the lineup for up to 5 months said a Dodgers spokesman.

Colver Done For Year
24 year old Cubs outfielder Tyler Colvin suffered a broken kneecap on Saturday in a wicked collision with Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler, he'll be out of the lineup for about 9 months.

Man-Ram Out For Season
Enigmatic Dodgers superstar Manny Ramirez suffered a torn ACL on Saturday while attempting a slide on the game winning play in the bottom of the 12th inning, Ramirez will be out for about 8 months.

Eckstein And Snell Suspended Following Brawl
In the game between the Padres and Mariners, a bean ball thrown by Seattle's Ian Snell at San Diego's David Eckstein touched off a nasty benches clearing brawl, in which several punches were thrown. When the smoke cleared, both Snell and Eckstein were ejected. Following the game, the league announced that both players would be suspended for 6 games each

Oakland's De Los Santos Forced To Retire
24 year old Oakland Athletics pitching prospect Fautino De Los Santos who earlier in the season suffered a torn rotator cuff, had to call it quits today, due to a setback in his recovery which has forced his retirement.

Lindstrom Sidelined 6-7 Weeks
Houston Astros reliever Matt Lindstrom will be out of action for 6-7 weeks, after suffering some elbow inflammation during the game on Sunday.

Hamels Dominates Boston In 7-0 Win
Phillies starter Cole Hamels did his job today, and how. Hamels dominated the visiting Red Sox, holding them to just 4 hits while striking out 4 in a complete game 7-0 shutout victory. Even more impressively, Hamels needed just 86 pitches to get the job done.

Players Of The Week

Thanks to a lot of hard work and hustle, red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has been voted the American League player of the week. For the week, Ellsbury batted .538(14 for 26) with 3 homers and 9 RBI.

In the NL, Pirates 1B Garrett Jones has won player of the week honors, thanks to a week in which he batted .550(11 for 20), with 3 homers and 10 RBI.

MLB Standings

[PhillieFever]

Week Ending May 30th, 2010

MLB Week In Review

American League

In the East, the Red Sox continue to make things uncomfortable for New York, thanks to a week in which the Sox swept Tampa Bay and took 3 of 4 from Kansas City, improving their record to 34-18, meanwhile, the Yankees hung in there, taking all 3 of their games against the Twins before losing 2 of 3 to Cleveland, while still remaining a game up in the standings.

In the Central, it was the Indians who were the big movers this week, jumping ahead of both Minnesota and Kansas City and into second place, two games behind first place Detroit. Overall, the division still remains tight, with Chicago the only team further than 2 and a half out.

The Texas Rangers continue to pace the West, although things have gotten a little closer, with Seattle moving to within 2 and a half games, and the Athletics 3 and a half. The Angels continue to lurk, just 6 games behind.

National League

Despite a rash of minor injuries, the Phillies continue to play well, taking 2 of 3 from both the Mets and Marlins to improve their record to 30-20, two and a half games better than 28-23 Washington. In New York, rumors are beginning to swirl about manager Jerry Manuel, who has done nothing to stop the Mets free fall which has landed them at 18-33, worst in the National League

The Cardinals have proved human after all, losing 5 of their last 6, including a weekend sweep by the Cubbies, who are now just 8 games back at 27-24. No other team in the division has a record above .500

The NL West remains very competitive, with the Dodgers clinging to a 2 and a half game lead over the red hot Rockies, who have won 11 of their last 15 games. The Giants also remain close, despite a disappointing start from Tim Lincecum, who is now 3-6 with a 3.96 ERA.

TWIB Notes

Rangers SS Out
Elvis Andrus, the Rangers up and coming shortstop, suffered a ruptured UCL on Monday, on a routine throw to first. He'll be out for about 8 months.

Morales Extends Hit Streak To 20 Games
With his 5th inning single against the Jays on Wednesday, Angels 1B Kendry Morales extended hit hitting streak to a league best 20 games, while upping his average to an almost obscene .393. Morales has also connected on 11 homers, and knocked in 22

Padilla Razor Sharp Vs Colorado
Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla twirled his first shutout of the season on Friday, blanking the hometown Rockies on just 4 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 2 in the Dodgers 4-0 victory.

Phils Add Minor League Pitchers
Looking to add depth in the Minors, the Phillies signed free agent pitchers Travis Chick, and Jae Kuk Ryu to minor league deals on Friday. Neither player is expected to make the big club any time soon.

Will Milwaukee Trade Zaun?
Unhappy with his role on a last place team, Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gregg Zaun has reportedly asked that the team trade him. The Club denies the reports.

Tex Slams Tribe
Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira decimated Cleveland pitching on Saturday, connecting on two solo shots as well as a grand slam, in the Yankees 9-5 win here at The Stadium. For the season, Mark is batting .328, with 12 homers and 44 RBI

Werth Out Of Lineup
Already dealing with injuries to Chae Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Placido Polanco, the Phillies will now be without star RF Jayson Werth for up to a month, due to what is being described at shoulder soreness. On the bright side, both Rollins and Polance are due back this week.

MLB Players Of The Week

In the AL, Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira has been named the player of the week, thanks to a week in which he batted .435, with 5 homers and 9 RBI.

Phillies star LF Raul Ibanez has been phenomenal in the early going, but this week, he was even better, hitting at a .524 clip, with 2 homers, 5 RBI, and 5 runs scored. For his efforts, Ibanez has been named the NL player of the week.

MLB Standings

[PhillieFever]

Week Ending June 6th, 2010

Week In Review

American League

With the Yankees dropping 4 of 7 during the week, the Red Sox had a golden opportunity to finally move ahead of the Bronx Bombers and into first place in the AL East, Boston however struggled as well, dropping 3 straight to Oakland and then 2 of 3 to Baltimore, falling 2 and a half games behind New York with a record of 35-23. The Orioles, Rays, and Blue Jays also failed to gain any meaningful ground.

Things continue to be close in the Central, with Cleveland moving into a first place tie with Detroit, thanks to a week in which they took two of three from both Detroit and Chicago, while also picking up a win against the Yankees.

In the West, the Texas Rangers have gone ice cold, losing 5 of their last 6 to fall into a first place tie with the Seattle Mariners, who continue to get tremendous pitching, especially from Cliff Lee, who is 6-0 with a 1.30 ERA in his last 7 starts. In Los Angeles, the Angels have finally begun to make their move, winning 5 of 7, leaving them just 2 and a half games out of first place.

National League

On the backs of Roy Halladay(9-1 3.07 ERA) and Ryan Howard(.325 18 HR 46 RBI), the Phillies continue to chug along, running their record to 33-23, three games better than Washington, and 3 and a half games better than Atlanta, who have now won 7 of 10. Florida and New York continue to remain way back.

After a blazing start to the season, the Cardinals have lost 9 of their last 12 games, allowing the Cubs to move within 7 games, and Houston within 9. In the bottom half of the division, the Reds and Brewers have both won 7 of 10, but still remain 11 and 13 games back respectively.

The National League West remains virtually unchanged this week, with the Dodgers remaining in first place, 2 games ahead of Colorado and 4 ahead of San Francisco.

Twib Notes

Morales Extends Hit Streak To 30!
With 3 hits against Seattle on Sunday, Angels 1b Kendry Morales has now extended his hitting streak to an impressive 30 games, while improving his average on the season to an eye popping .405, easily the best mark in the majors. Morales also has 12 homers and 35 RBI

Kinsler And Floyd Suspended
After another ugly incident following a beanball, commissioner Bud Selig has suspended the Rangers Ian Kinsler and the White Sox' Gavin Floyd 9 games each for their on field fight on Tuesday.

Phils Continue To Bolster Farm
Due to a rash of injuries down on the farm, the Phillies have signed 5 players to minor league contracts this week, they are: 2B Fernando Cortez, 3B Kory Castro, and pitchers Francis Beltran, Yusmeiro Petit, and Davis Romero.

Howard And Halladay Prove To Much For Braves
Phillies slugger Ryan Howard had 5 hits in 5 at bats, including a home run, and starting pitcher Roy Halladay twirled his first complete game shutout of the year, holding the Braves to 6 hits, while walking 3 and striking out 7, as the Phillies avoided the 3 game sweep, defeating Atlanta 3-0.

Lowe Whips Dodgers
Former Dodger Derrick Lowe had no trouble against his former team on Friday, holding them to just 3 hits and 3 walks while fanning 6 in a complete game 3-0 victory. For the season, Lowe is now 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA

Twins Baker Injured
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Scott Baker suffered a torn labrum on Saturday and is out for the year. Recovery is expected to take between 4-5 months.

Belliard Sidelined For Season
Dodgers backup 1B Ronnie Belliard will be out for the season, after tearing a calf muscle against the Braves on Saturday, recovery is expected to take 4 months.

Hanrahan Partially Tears Labrum
While not as severe as originally thought, Pirates pitcher Joel Hanrahan will be out of action until August with a partially torn labrum.

Lackey Fires Shutout At O's
Red Sox starter John Lackey dominated Baltimore on Sunday, holding them to just 3 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 6, leading the Red Sox to a much needed 6-0 victory. For the season, Lackey is now 7-1 with a 2.96 ERA

Major Transactions

The St Louis Cardinals signed closer Ryan Franklin to a 2 year contract extension worth a total of $8,940,000

The Kansas City Royals traded 29 year old minor league pitcher Brian Bannister to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for 21 year old minor league pitcher Brett Wallach and 20 year old minor league pitcher Matt Magill.

The Florida Marlins traded 29 year old catcher Ronny paulino and $1,100,000 in cash to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for 20 year old minor league pitcher Henderson Alvarez.

The Milwaukee Brewers traded 28 year old pitcher Chris Narveson to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for 19 year old minor league pitching prospect Cameron Coffey.

Players Of The Week

In the American League, Rangers RF Nelson Cruz had 12 hits in 22 at bats this week, socking 5 homers and knocking in 8, earning himself AL player of the week honors.

Reds outfielder Jay Bruce pounded national League pitching this week, batting .565(13 for 23) with 4 homers and 10 RBI, for his efforts he's been named the NL player of the week.

MLB Standings

[PhillieFever]

MLB Award Winners For May 2010

Batters Of The Month

AL- Mark Teixeira(NYY)- During the month, TeixeiraBatted .328 with 10 homers, 33 RBI, and 24 runs scored to win the award

NL- Derrek Lee(CHC)- During the month of May, the Cubs 1B batted .295 with 9 homers, 28 RBI and 22 runs scored, earning himself the NL's batter of the month award.

Pitchers Of The Month

AL- John Lackey(Bos)- Lackey, the Red Sox' big free agent prize, did not disappoint during his first full month in Boston, going 5-0 with 29 strikeouts and a 2.22 ERA in 48.2 innings of work. For his efforts, big John has been named the AL's pitcher of the month.

NL- Ubaldo Jimenez(Col)- Although there were plenty worthy candidates, none were more so than the Rockies ace, who in 6 starts went 4-0 with 40 strikeouts and a sparkling 2.00 ERA, earning himself what could be the first of many pitcher of the month awards.

Rookies Of The Month

AL- Jesus Merchan(Tor)- Although he was just sent back to AAA, Blue Jays SS Jesus Merchan made one heck of a first impression, hitting .311 in the month of May, with 2 homers, 8 RBI and 11 runs scored, making him the AL's rookie of the month for May.

NL- Tommy Manzella(Hou)- the 27 year old Manzella finally got a chance to show what he can do, and he did not disappoint, batting .298 with a homer, 10 RBI, and 9 runs scored, earning the NL's rookie of the month for May.