Greatest Franchise Ever Replay

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

April 11^th- Tampa is already in deep taking on the Yankees. Chris Archer pitched 6 strong innings, and kept his team in the game, trailing 3-1 after 6. Archer turned the game over to the bullpen. At that point, the talent of the Rays bullpen, and legendary bats of the Yankees mixed perfectly. The Yankees would record 16 hits, 4 home runs and 16 runs over the final 3 innings. Babe Ruth homered, singled, stole a base and scored twice. Derek Jeter knocked in 4. I could go on. It was cool to see these Yankees do what they do!


Teammates

April 12^th- The 10-1 Atlanta Braves put up 18 runs against Steve Carlton and the Phillies!! Cartlon lasted 2 innings allowing only 8 runs. Fred McGriff, Joe Torre and Chipper Jones all got 3 hits as the Braves finished with 22.

Atlanta is tearing up the NL. As a team, they are hitting .381! Chipper Jones is the only regular starter hitting under .300. Now, ofcourse they will cool down at some point, but it's pretty fun to watch!


Atlanta's Rogers Hornsby is hitting .410 through two weeks.

April 13^th- Justin Upton went down on the 10^th with a injury that today was diagnosed as a torn abdominal muscle. He will miss 3 months for the Diamondbacks. Steve Finley, hitting .421 with Phoenix, was called up to take Upton’s place.


Upton was 2/10 at the time of his injury.




Next week, on Sunday Night Baseball

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

Pittsburgh’s starting lineup looks so good. They have not been playing very well though. The best player in this game so far is New York’s Mike Piazza. Both starting pitchers have struggled and need a good performance.

After watching Gerrit Cole open up with a quick 3 up 3 down inning, Noah Syndergaard gets two outs. He then walks 4 straight batters! That is about as unacceptable as you can get from a pitcher. 1-0 Pirates after one.


Syndergaard struggling with his control

Darryl Strawberry draws a one out walk and steals 2^nd. He scores when Howard Johnson blasts a 1-2 pitch over the CF wall. Johnson’s 3^rd of the season gives the Mets a 2-1 lead.


Johnson gives the Mets the lead.

Honus Wagner draws Syndergaard’s 5^th walk of the game, steals 2^nd and scores on a Kiki Cuyler single. We are tied at 2s. Syndergaard is pulled from the game after the 2^nd with a apparent injury! (After the game, a news release tells us Syndergaard tore his fingernail and is day to day)

In the third, the offense continues. Carlos Beltran goes deep to right, a 2 run shot, giving new Mets pitcher, Al Leiter a two run lead to play with. Leiter looks like he will strand Ralph Kiner at 2^nd when Mets SS Jose Reyes throws the ball away on a routine grounder. Pittsburgh has men at the corners for Roberto Clemente! Leiter picks off Traynor at first and strikes out Clemente! 4-2 Mets after three!


Leiter pitching out of trouble

Leiter hits Wagner to open the bottom of the 4^th, he steals 2^nd, and eventually scores on a wild pitch. Kiki Culyer singles and scores on a Paul Waner double to tie it, then Arky Vaughn homers, and it’s 6-4 Pirates.

With the lead, Roy Face replaces Cole on the mound for the home team. He promptly fields a Jose Reyes bunt and throws it away. Face pitches himself out of the jam though. Frank Viola will pitch the 5^th for NY.


Viola enters the game.

It’s a disaster for Viola. Pittsburgh sends 11 men to the plate, and score 6 times. Viola turns this thing into a blowout! 12-4 Pittsburgh. IN the 7^th, Darryl Strawberry homers, his 6^th, which cuts the lead to 5. That’s how this one would end. Pittsburgh wins it 13-8!

[George_Bell]

[rjl518]

Darn Mets! Lets turn it around!

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by rjl518

Darn Mets! Lets turn it around!

It's still early, but they have the worst bullpen in the NL, and the starters have been needing that groups help. Pitch better and win!

[George_Bell]

Trying out a new TWIB format for my reports. Clicking on the image should link you to a larger version.

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

Right before the game, the Blue Jays announced Troy Tulowitzki and Paul Molitor have been demoted to AAA. Fred McGriff, and Kelly Gruber, who combined for 15 AAA home runs have joined the team and will be available to play tonight.


Joining the big club!

The Jays have gone on a bit of a losing streak entering the game, and have lost the first two games of the series to the Orioles. Baltimore now sits in first place in the AL east. Each team today has Roberto Alomar starting at 2^nd base. The Baltimore Alomar his having the better season.



The first inning in our game of the weeks continues to hurt pitchers. After getting a out, Price allows back to back doubles to Roberto Alomar and George Sisler as the Orioles jump out in front. Sisler would score and the Orioles have an early advantage.

The Jays start well, with a lead off Alomar single, but he’s left stranded by Mike Mussina. Price gets 2 easy outs and comes undone in the 2^nd. Single, wild pitch, single, wild pitch, single. 4-0 Baltimore. Toronto gets the leadoff hitter on again in the 2^nd, and would load the bases, but they get nothing, as Mussina gets out of it. Looking like another one sided game.


2 Price wild pitches come back to bite

It’s the 4^th inning before the Jays get on the board. Jose Bautista hits a solo shot cutting the lead to 4-1. Price leaves the game after 4 innings, allowing 11 hits. Poor performance from him. Aaron Sanchez comes in, having allowed 0 runs through 11.2 innings.

Sanchez cruises through 2 innings before getting into trouble in the seventh. Alomar and Sisler occupy first and third without an out, and a chance to blow the game open. Frank Robinson lines out, and in comes BJ Ryan to take on Jim Gentile. George Sisler tries to steal 2^nd and is gunned out by Russell Martin. Another wild pitch allows Alomar to score, and the Orioles do get one. 5-1 lead.


Jays can't get Sisler out

Mussina leaves after a excellent performance, allowing 1 run and 5 hits. Greg Olson comes in to mop it up. Tony Fernandez scores on a Russell Martin single, and Olson loads the bases with walks. 2 out, down by 3, George Bell steps up to the plate with a chance to steal the lead. Bell hits the 3-2 pitch into shallow right, and Frank Robinson makes a routine catch. Opportunity wasted.


Mussina out duels Price

The Jays closer, Tom Henke comes into the game in a non save situation. Seems like a weird spot for him. He gives up a few hits and a run. 6-2 Baltimore going into the ninth. Baltimore goes to their own BJ Ryan to finish it. A Manny Machado error, opens the door.

The Jays load the bases with that error, a single and a walk. With one out, Jose Bautista, already with a homer, comes to bat. He hits a grounder to short, the Orioles get one, but can’t close the game. Now down 6-3, with 2 out, the Jays look to Lloyd Moseby, the potential tying run. Zach Britton is in the game for Baltimore. Moseby hits the 2-2 pitch. A weak grounder. Baltimore makes the easy play, and the Orioles win the game 6-3!


Chance to win it, but comes up empty.

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

These are thumbnails. Clicking the image gets you full size.

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[George_Bell]

Boston with just two wins on the road, are happy to be hosting the Rays from Fenway Park tonight. Tampa has lost 5 of their last 7 games. Boston’s Ted Williams was placed on the DL with a back strain. He will miss 3 weeks. Carl Yastrzemski, who was platooning all over the OF, has taken his spot in LF. Yaz starts in CF today though, as the Red Sox will go with Manny Ramirez in left.


No Ted Williams tonight

4 hitters in, and Dutch Leonard has loaded the bases. Melvin Upton comes to the plate with 1 away and a chance to take a knockout swing. Upton hits into a fielder’s choice, which scores a run, but that’s all the Rays would get. Leonard feels lucky. 1-0 TB.

Dwight Evans ties the game in the bottom of the first, with his 2^nd home run of the season. TB grabs the lead back in the third. Ben Zobrist sends a double down the right field line which scores Carl Crawford. Melvin Upton then hits his 2^nd run scoring fielder’s choice. 3-1 Rays.


Two early RBI's for Upton

It starts raining hard, and the game is delayed! It’s 50 minutes before play resumes. Both starters, Archer and Leonard remain in the game.



The rain begins again in as Rico Petrocelli takes Chris Archer deep in the 4^th. The solo shot cleared the green monster. 3-2 Tampa. I’m not sure if we can complete 9 innings tonight.


Petrocelli homers in the 4th

We get past the point of making this game official as we enter the bottom of the 5^th. With 2 out, Jimmie Foxx sends a pop up to left. Randy Winn makes a diving catch, but injures himself. The play did save a run as Boston had a man on 2^nd. 3-2 Tampa after five.

Winn is able to remain in the game, and gets a immediate chance to make a difference. Upton triples, and Winn doubles him in. 4-2 Rays. Dutch Leonard is done. Derek Lowe comes in. Lowe has been bad, with a 10.29 era. Lowe would allow Winn to score, but limited the damage to that. Three run lead now for the Rays.


offense and defense from Winn

Dick Radatz comes into the game in the 8^th, and immediately allows Tampa to extend the lead. Randy Winn scores on a Aubrey Huff double. Radatz then loses his control and walks in 2 runs. Tampa scores 5 in the eighth and this one looks like it's over. Chris Archer allows 2 runs in 7 2/3’s.

The Rays Fernando Rodney loses his control in the ninth, walking the bases loaded. Now, I’m a believer that if a pitchers walks three guys to load the bases, he should be removed from the game and locked in the clubhouse so he can’t escape. The Rays leave Rodney in who walks in a run, and then gives up a grand slam to David Ortiz. Rafael Soriano comes in to get the final out, but the Rays idiocy made it interesting. Tampa wins 10-8.


meaningless grand slam

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

[rjl518]

Mets have been playing better.
Just 1 game under .500.

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[George_Bell]

The Expos look like they have underachieved so far, and currently sit in 5th place in the NL east. They are a game out of the playoffs if they started today. Florida is just a game and a half back of Montreal. Both teams need these wins if they want to qualify for the post season. It is still early.

Bryce Harper take Josh Johnson deep in the opening frame to get the Expos on the board early. I gotta say, Montreal has a scary lineup. If Johnson isn’t on, this could get ugly fast.



Johnson gets out of the first but gives up a leadoff homer in the 2^nd to Dan Murphy and it’s 2-0 Montreal. With 2 outs, Gary Carter and Andre Dawson collect back to back hits, and Tim Raines forces a throwing error with his speed. Carter scores and it’s 3-0 after two innings.

Carter and Dawson, the 8 and 9 hitters!!!

Johnson would get some revenge on Harper, striking him out on the next at bat, but then loads the bases for Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman singles home 2. Gary Carter walks, which loads the bases for Andre Dawson. A ground ball turns into a double play, and the Marlins are fortunate to be down 5-0.


The struggle is real

On the other side of the diamond, Mark Langston is looking great. Through 4 innings, he is yet to allow a hit. He’s pitched around his 3 walks rather easily. Montreal leads 6-0 after the 4^th. Ivan Rodriguez and Devon both single in the 5^th, giving Florida their best chance to score, but they get stranded as Cliff Floyd goes down swinging.


Cruising

Montreal fails to score in the 6^th, the first inning which they haven’t crossed home. Josh Johnson leaves the game in the 7^th, but not before allowing an 8^th Expos run. Mark Langston runs out of gas in the 8^th. We walks 3 in the inning, and gives up a run, but overall, he’s magnificent, earning the win. Montreal wins it 8-1!

[George_Bell]