2017 MLB Expansion

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Reserved for Team History

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Reserved for Team Leaders

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July 14, 2015

In front of a sell out crowd at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, the National League defeated the American League 3-1 in the 2015 Midsummer Classic. After presenting the MVP award to Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt, rookie commissioner stepped up to the podium:

"Because this is one of our greatest events of the season, I would like to make a special announcement. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am happy to reveal the news that the league will be expanding to 32 teams prior to the 2017 season. The new cities will be selected within the following 12 months."

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November 3, 2015

After winning a league-high 112 games during the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers breezed through the playoffs, and defeated the Kansas City Royals in 5 games. Right Fielder Yasiel Puig was named World Series MVP, going 9-26 with a home run and 8 RBI. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw also played a key role in the series, allowing only a single run over 17 innings, while striking out 15 batters.

Season Awards:

NL MVP: Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig- .314/.374/.517, 28 HR, 103 RBI, 22 SB
AL MVP: Angels CF Mike Trout- .322/.418/.590, 37 HR, 102 RBI, 31 SB

NL CY: Dodgers SP Zack Greinke- 17-9, 2.34 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 188 K
AL CY: Angels RP Mike Morin- 9-3, 1.62 ERA, 22 SV, 0.99 WHIP, 78 K

NL ROY: Dodgers CF Joc Pederson- .261/.345/.494, 36 HR, 111 RBI, 29 SB
AL ROY: Rays RP Steve Geltz- 6-3, 1.53 ERA, 2 SV, 124 K, 0.93 WHIP

In January, Commissioner Manfred announced that the two expansion cities will be Indianapolis and Oklahoma City.

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The Dodgers made it back to the World Series in 2015, but this time they were defeated by their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Angels. Led by Series MVP Mike Trout, the Angels quite easily won in five games, winning their first championship since 2002.

Season Awards:
NL MVP: Cardinals RF Jason Heyward- .322/.403/.594, 36 HR, 126 RBI, 10 SB
AL MVP: Angels CF Mike Trout- ..318/.424/.560, 31 HR, 100 RBI, 38 SB

NL CY: Nationals SP Stephen Strasburg- 18-6, 2.40 ERA, 281 K, 0.89 WHIP
AL CY: Angels SP Tyler Skaggs- 21-5, 2.70 ERA, 185 K, 1.11 WHIP

NL ROY: Rockies CF David Dahl- .331/.366/.541, 19 HR, 80 RBI, 27 SB
AL ROY: Rangers RF Nomar Mazara- .266/.310/.485, 27 HR, 86 RBI, 8 SB

The expansion teams have officially been named. The franchise in Indianapolis will be named the Lumberjacks, and Oklahoma City's new team will be called the Devils. Additionally, there will be a new division reallignment beginning in 2018. There will be four divisions of four teams each in both leagues. For geography purposes, Arizona will head to the American League, switching with Houston.

AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Rays
AL North: Twins, Tigers, Blue Jays, Indians
AL South: Devils, Royals, White Sox, Rangers
AL West: Athletics, Angels, Mariners, Diamondbacks

NL East: Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Braves
NL North: Reds, Lumberjacks, Pirates, Brewers
NL South: Cardinals, Cubs, Marlins, Astros
NL West: Dodgers, Rockies, Padres, Giants

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Indianapolis Names Michaels as GM
At just 25 years old, Jake Michaels becomes one of the youngest general managers in the history of professional sports. He was recently named the first GM in Indianapolis Lumberjacks history, as he will be in charge of building a competitive roster for the expansion team. Michaels played college baseball at a small division 2 school, and spent the last three years working in the front office of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although he is young, he is very knowledgeable of the game, and is confident of his ability to run the organization.

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Expansion Draft Picks: (2016 team)

Catchers:
C Martin Maldonado (Brewers)
C Jett Bandy (Angels AAA)
C Jake Lowery (Indians AAA)

Infielders:
1B Chris Davis (Mets)
2B Tommy La Stella (Cubs)
2B Joe Panik (Giants/Phillies)
3B Cheslor Cuthbert (Royals)
3B Casey McGehee (Marlins)
SS Alexi Amarista (Padres)
SS Taylor Featherston (Angels)
SS Ryan Jackson (Royals)

Outfielders:
LF Matt McBride (Indians)
CF Brandon Barnes (Rangers)
CF A.J. Pollock (DBacks)
CF Luigi Rodriguez (Rockies)
RF Junior Sosa (DBacks)
RF Henry Ramos (Red Sox)
RF Jordan Smith (Indians)

Starting Pitchers:
Jake Arrieta (Cubs)
Brandon Beachy (Dodgers)
Doug Fister (Nationals)
Brandon Maurer (Padres)
Tyler Thornburg (DBacks)
Erik Johnson (DBacks)
Sam Gaviglio (Mariners)
Taylor Cole (Blue Jays)

Relief Pitchers:
Eury de La Rosa (A's)
Randall Delgado (DBacks)
J.R. Graham (Twins)
Nate Karns (Royals)
Bobby Parnell (Mets)
Jake Petricka (Marlins)
Chris Rearick (Padres)
Yimi Garcia (Dodgers)

Rule 5 Selections:
C Rafael Lopez (Cubs)

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2016 Offseason Transactions
Traded 2B Joe Panik to the Astros for OF Domingo Santana
Signed C Wilson Ramos to a minor league contract
Traded C Jake Lowery to the Cardinals for three prospects, most notably utility player Malquiel Brito
Signed OF Nolan Reimold to a 1 year, $900,000 contract
C Martin Maldonado missed most of Spring Training with a herniated disk, and he will remain on the DL for at least one more week into the regular season
RF Jordan Smith will miss the first 1-2 weeks of the season with a torn abdominal muscle

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2017 Opening Day Roster: Position Players
(Age, B/T)
Catchers:
C #40 Wilson Ramos (29, R/R)- Ramos struggled last season with Washington, hitting for just a .224 average. He does have above average power out of the catcher position, as he belted 17 homers last year.

C #31 Rafael Lopez (29, L/R)- Lopez was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by Indianapolis, and will make his Major League debut with the Lumberjacks. He hit .296 with a .388 OBP in AAA last season in the Cubs organization.

Infielders:
1B #19 Chris Davis (31, L/R)- Davis will be a force in the middle of the Lumberjacks lineup, as he is probably the best power hitter on the team. He hit 47 home runs over the previous two campaigns.

2B/3B #25 Tommy La Stella (28, L/R)- La Stella isn't a very flashy player, but he does get on base at a high rate. His OBP was over .360 in both of his seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

3B/1B #18 Casey McGehee (34, R/R)- McGehee has lost some of his power over the years, but he is still a decent hitter, and an above average fielder at the corner infield positions.

SS/2B/LF #5 Alexi Amarista (27, L/R)- One of the most versatile players on the team, Amarista can do many things well to help win games. A solid defender at three positions, he is also a great baserunner, and a decent contact hitter.

SS/3B/2B #9 Taylor Featherston (27, R/R)- Featherston was a role player on the 2016 World Champion Angels, so hopefully his playoff experience can help improve the abilities and confidence of his teammates.

SS/2B/3B #32 Ryan Jackson (28, R/R)- Jackson is not much more than a utility infielder, but he does have a very good eye, as his on base percentage has consistently been above average in recent years.

Outfielders:
#22 OF Junior Sosa (26, L/L)- Now in his second MLB season, Junior Sosa will look to improve over his 2016 numbers. He will begin the season at the top of the lineup, as he is a great baserunner that frequently makes pitchers work hard to get him out.

#26 OF Brandon Barnes (30, R/R)- Barnes will probably just serve as a backup until Justin Smith returns from the Disabled List.

#11 OF A.J. Pollock (29, R/R)- One of the better outfielders in the league defensively, Pollock has great speed, and should create havoc in the field and on the bases.

#24 LF/RF Nolan Reimold (33, R/R)- Recently signed to a small contract, Reimold will serve veteran leadership as the fourth outfielder to begin the season.

#43 RF Domingo Santana (24, R/R)- Acquired in a trade with Houston, Santana is an above average power hitter, hitting over 20 bombs in his first two seasons in the majors. At just 24 years old, he has hopefully not reached his peak, and could develop into an even more dangerous power hitter.

Lineups:
vs RHP
1. Sosa LF
2. La Stella 2B
3. Davis 1B
4. Santana RF
5. Ramos C
6. Amarista SS
7. McGehee 3B
8. Pollock CF

vs. LHP
1. Sosa LF
2. Jackson 2B
3. Santana RF
4. Davis 1B
5. Ramos C
6. Pollock CF
7. McGehee 3B
8. Amarista SS

Coaching Staff:
Manager- Ben Jacobs
Bench Coach- Wilson Salinas
Pitching Coach- Jim Coffman
Hitting Coach- Chet Smith
Trainer- Jerry Burton
Scouting Director- Ben King

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Opening Day Roster: Pitchers
Starting Rotation:
1. #61 Doug Fister (33, R)- Last year Fister worked out of the bullpen with Washington, but he will return to the starting rotation with Indianapolis. He pitched very well for the Nationals, with an ERA of 2.54 in 2016.

2. #49 Jake Arrieta (31, R)- Arrieta was one of the top pitchers in the NL Central last year, winning 13 games with the Cubs. He strikes out a decent amount of batters, and has been consistent over the last few seasons.

3. #37 Brandon Maurer (26, R)- Last year was Maurer's first in the bigs, and he pitched fairly well, going 10-12 with an ERA of 4.00, striking out 123.

4. #30 Tyler Thornburg (28, R)- Thornburg was a spot starter/long reliever for the Diamondbacks last season, going 6-8 with a 3.64 ERA.

5. #47 Erik Johnson (27, R)- Now in his 3rd season Johnson will begin the year as the #5 starter for the Lumberjacks. Last year with Arizona he 11-10 with a 3.20 ERA.

Bullpen:
MR #48 Randall Delgado (27, R)- Delgado is yet another pitcher from Arizona, and he was a workhorse last year, appearing in 86 games out of the bullpen.

MR #29 Chris Rearick (29, L)- Rearick pitched very well in his rookie season with San Diego, going 7-1 with a 2.66 ERA.

MR #45 Eury De La Rosa (27, L)- De La Rosa is the other lefty in the bullpen. He appeared in 64 games with the A's in 2016, striking out an impressive 87 batters.

MR #27 John Church (30, R)- Last year was Church's first in the bigs, and it was very special. He only allowed 3 earned runs in 26.2 innings, and was a key member of the Mets pitching staff during the second half of the 2016 season.

SU #41 Bobby Parnell (32, R)- Parnell has experience closing in the past, and could possibly take over at some point during the year if Yimi Garcia struggles. He is one of the hardest throwers on the team, and occasionally hits 100 miles per hour with his fastball.

SU #52 Jake Petricka (28, R)- Petricka pitched well for Miami last season, striking out 73 batters and recording an ERA of 3.39. He enters the season as one of the top relievers for the Lumberjacks.

CL #63 Yimi Garcia (26, R)- Garcia is the youngest pitcher on the staff, but he is no stranger to pitching in big moments. He was a huge part of the Dodgers' playoff runs of the last two seasons, and last year he took his game to a whole new level. He had an ERA of 1.88 for Los Angeles, striking out 67 batters.

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April 4th
Lumberjacks (0-1) 0 @ Reds (1-0) 1
WP: Drew Smyly (1-0, 0.00)
LP: Doug Fister (0-1, 1.13)
SV: Jumbo Diaz (1, 0.00)
HR: CIN: Jesse Winker (1)

The beginning of the era of Indianapolis Lumberjacks baseball began with a loss, as the league newcomers could not score any runs against division-rival Cincinnati. Doug Fister pitched very well in his season debut, going the distance in the loss. His one mistake came in the 8th inning; A solo home run off the bat of Reds RF Jesse Winker. The Lumberjacks recorded 9 hits, but simply couldn't come through in the clutch, leaving all of their runners on base.

April 5th:
Lumberjacks (1-1) 6 @ Reds (1-1) 2
WP: Jake Arrieta (1-0, 2.57)
LP: Jon Moscot (0-1, 5.06)
HR: IND: Junior Sosa (1), A.J. Pollock (1)

After not scoring a run on Opening Day, Junior Sosa immediately ended the drought with a lead off home run. Cincinnati answered with a run of their own in the first, but afterward Jake Arrieta settled down to allow just one more run over the next six innings. The Lumberjacks got on base an impressive 16 times, with 9 hits and 7 walks.

April 6th:
Lumberjacks (2-1) 2 @ Reds (1-2) 1
WP: Brandon Maurer (1-0, 1.35)
LP: Manny Banuelos (0-1, 2.57)
SV: Yimi Garcia (1, 0.00)
HR: IND: Chris Davis (1)

A first inning blast by Chris Davis gave Indianapolis a lead that they would hold for the remainder of the game, as Brandon Maurer allowed just one run in a sharp first outing of the season. Despite striking out 17 times, the Lumberjacks were able to win the game, and the series.

April 7th:
Off Day

Around the League:
Chicago (NL) signs RF Scott Hairston to a 1 year deal worth $5.8 million
Los Angeles (NL) signs CF Carlos Gomez to a 4 year deal worth $46.1 million
Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera gets hit #2,500
Los Angeles (NL) signs 1B David Ortiz to a 1 year deal worth $5.9 million

Next series: 3 games at home against the Phillies

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April 8th:
Phillies (3-2) 1 @ Lumberjacks (3-1) 3
WP: Tyler Thornburg (1-0, 1.13)
LP: Chase Whitley (0-1, 4.50)
SV: Yimi Garcia (2, 0.00)
HR: IND: Chris Davis (2)

Indianapolis continued its great pitching and defense in game one against the Phillies, holding the opponent to just one run. Chris Davis once again provided most of the offense with his second home run of the season. There was also a sold out crowd at the opening of brand new Verizon Stadium.

April 9th:
Phillies (3-3) 2 @ Lumberjacks (4-1) 6
WP: Erik Johnson (1-0, 3.00)
LP: Cole Hamels (0-1, 3.38)
HR: PHI: Matt Holliday (2), Jordan Danks (1) IND: Domingo Santana (1), Chris Davis (3)

It looked like the Phillies would end the Lumberjacks' three game winning streak, but a three run homer by Domingo Santana in the 6th completely changed the momentum. After Santana's round tripper, Indianapolis added two more insurance runs to safely win the game.

April 10th:
Phillies (3-4) 4 @ Lumberjacks (5-1) 7
WP: Randall Delgado (1-0, 0.00)
LP: Jon Niese (0-1, 12.60)
SV: Yimi Garcia (3, 0.00)
HR: PHI: J.P. Crawford (1) IND: Wilson Ramos (1)

For the first time all season, the Lumberjacks did not get a good outing out of their starting pitcher as Doug Fister allowed four runs in just 3.1 innings. But the bullpen was impeccable, shutting out the Phillies for the remainder of the game. In 14 innings, the Indianapolis bullpen has still not allowed a run in 2017.

Around the League:
Yankees SP Matt Garza shuts out the Blue Jays, striking out 6
Rockies RP Cody Martin is out for the season with a torn labrum
Cubs C Kyle Schwarber is out for 6 weeks with a fractured hand
The Phillies sign SP Jon Niese to a 3 year contract worth $36.3 million
Blue Jays RF Michael Saunders collects 5 hits against the Red Sox
Rangers SP Yu Darvish shuts out the Devils, striking out 5
Angels SP Tyler Skaggs shuts out the Astros, striking out 4

AL POY: Tigers LF Kyle Waldrop: 13-28, 2 HR, 8 RBI
NL POY: Phillies 1B Logan Morrison: 11-17, 2 RBI

Transactions:
C Miguel Montero has been activated from the disabled list, and optioned to AAA

Up Next:
3 games at San Diego

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April 11th:
Lumberjacks (6-1) 4 @ Padres (2-6) 3 (13 innings)
WP: John Church (1-0, 0.00)
LP: James Needy (0-1, 1.80)
SV: Bobby Parnell (1)

Indianapolis trailed for most of the game, but a two-run double by catcher Rafael Lopez tied the score in the 8th inning. Brandon Barnes scored the eventual winning run in the 13th on a sacrifice fly by Junior Sosa.

April 12th:
Lumberjacks (6-2) 2 @ Padres (3-6) 6
WP: Robbie Erlin (1-0, 2.08)
LP: Brandon Maurer (1-1, 4.66)

San Diego jumped out to a big 4-0 lead in the first inning on three doubles, and the Lumberjacks could not recover, not scoring their only two runs until the seventh inning. The loss ends their six game winning streak, but still leaves them in first place.

April 13th:
Lumberjacks (6-3) 0 @ Padres (4-6) 2
WP: Rafael De Paula (1-1. 2.02)
LP: Tyler Thornburg (1-1, 1.80)
SV: Craig Kimbrel (3, 0.00)
HR: SD: Yangervis Solarte (1)

In just his second MLB start, Rafael De Paula dominated the Lumberjacks. He allowed just one hit over 7.1 innings. Although Indianapolis drew 6 walks in the game, the team could not break through with any runs as San Diego won the series.

April 14th:
Off Day

Around the League:
Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton hits 3 home runs against the Reds
Former Indians RF Carlos Quentin will retire as a result of suffering a torn labrum
Rangers CF Shin Soo-Choo is out 5-6 weeks with torn ankle ligaments
Orioles SP Wei-Yin Chen shuts out the Yankees, striking out 8

Transactions:
RF Jordan Smith has been activated from the disabled list, and has been placed on the 25-man roster. OF Brandon Barnes has been sent to AAA.

Up Next: 3 games @ Chicago Cubs

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April 15th:
Lumberjacks (6-4) 2 @ Cubs (7-4) 6
WP: Jon Lester (1-1, 3.74)
LP: Erik Johnson (1-1, 5.54)
HR: IND: Domingo Santana (2) CHC: Anthony Rizzo (1)

Erik Johnson kept Indianapolis in the game until the seventh when Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo broke the game wide open with a three run homer. In his first game back from the DL, Jordan Smith went 1-3 with a run scored.

April 16th:
Lumberjacks (7-4) 6 @ Cubs (7-5) 4 (10 innings)
WP: Jake Petricka (1-0, 0.00)
LP: Brian Schlitter (0-1, 8.10)
SV: Bobby Parnell (2, 0.00)
HR: IND: Chris Davis (4) CHC: Javier Baez (1)

Although the bullpen had been nearly perfect up to this point, it finally cracked as Yimi Garcia blew the lead in the ninth by allowing a home run against Javier Baez. Fortunately Indianapolis went on to win with two runs in the tenth, after a rally started by Casey McGehee's double. A.J. Pollock left the game with a strained oblique, but should avoid the DL.

April 17th:
Lumberjacks (7-5) 2 @ Cubs (8-5) 7
WP: Jake Odorizzi (2-1, 4.24)
LP: Brandon Maurer (1-2, 6.23)
HR: CHC: Kris Bryant (3), Evan Gattis (1)

Two Cubs home runs in the fourth inning gave them a large cushion early, and also knocked Lumberjacks starter Brandon Maurer out of the game. Indianapolis's offense was quiet, recording just one extra base hit in the loss.

April 18th:
Off day

Around the League:
Mariners SP Taijuan Walker shuts out the Blue Jays, striking out 3
Rays trade 3B Marwin Gonzalez to Marlins for 3B Zack Cox and minor league 1B Nic Wilson
Mets 3B David Wright collects hit number 2,000
Phillies trade SS Freddy Galvis and minor league RF Cord Sandberg to Cardinals for C Cody Stanley
White Sox CF Adam Eaton is out 4-5 months with a torn labrum

AL POW: White Sox LF Coco Crisp: 11-19, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R
NL POW: Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton: 10-25, 6 HR, 15 RBI

Up Next:
3 game series at home against the Cardinals

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April 19th:
Cardinals (6-8) 6 @ Lumberjacks (7-6) 5
WP: Aroldis Chapman (1-1, 2.16)
LP: Yimi Garcia (0-1. 7.11)
SV: Trevor Rosenthal (3, 3.52)
HR: STL: Jhonny Peralta (2), Justin Morneau (1) IND: Casey McGehee (1), Wilson Ramos (2)

Yimi Garcia once again struggled with his save opportunity, as he gave up a three run bomb to Justin Morneau and left without recording an out. Junior Sosa also left the game with a strained hamstring, and will miss three weeks. Brandon Barnes will be called back up as a result. Sosa was one of the top hitters on the team so far, hitting .317 on the season.

Alexi Amarista also received the news that his hand is fractured. He will miss 6 weeks with the injury, and Cheslor Cuthbert will be called up in his place.

April 20th:
Cardinals (7-8) 2 @ Lumberjacks (7-7) 1
WP: Boone Whiting (2-1, 1.89)
LP: Tyler Thornburg (1-2, 2.08)
SV: Trevor Rosenthal (4, 3.12)
HR: IND: Brandon Barnes (1)

Tyler Thornburg pitched another good game, but the only run support he received was from a Brandon Barnes home run. Indianapolis was held to just 5 hits in one of their worst offensive performances of the season.

April 21st:
Cardinals (7-9) 2 @ Lumberjacks (8-7) 3
WP: Erik Johnson (2-1, 3.98)
LP: Michael Wacha (2-2, 3.10)
SV: Yimi Garcia (4, 7.36)
HR: IND: Casey McGehee (2)

The Lumberjacks offense was once again quiet, but it provided enough support for Erik Johnson's sharp outing. After getting hit hard last time out, Johnson pitched beautifully against St. Louis, allowing only one run in 7.1 innings. Yimi Garcia allowed another run in the ninth, but he held on the record his fourth save.

Around the League:
Astros SP Alex Cobb shuts out the Angels, striking out 11
Indians SP Trevor Bauer shuts out the Yankees, striking out 7
Mets 1B Ji-man Choi collects 5 hits against the Marlins

Up Next:
3 games against the Cubs at home

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April 22nd:
Cubs (12-5) 11 @ Lumberjacks (8-8) 6
WP: Brian Schlitter (1-1, 5.06)
LP: Yimi Garcia (0-2, 12.38)
HR: CHC: Kris Bryant (4) IND: Brandon Barnes (2), Chris Davis (5)

The Lumberjacks led 6-3 after 8 innings, but in a disastrous ninth inning the Cubs scored 8 runs, 5 of them off of Yimi Garcia. As a result, Garcia has been been relieved of his duties as closer, and will be replaced by Bobby Parnell.

April 23rd:
Cubs (13-5) 2 @ Lumberjacks (8-9) 1
WP: Jake Odorizzi (3-1, 3.38)
LP: Chris Rearick (0-1, 3.38)
SV: Mark Melancon (5, 0.00)
HR: CHC: Anthony Rizzo (4)

Cubs starter Jake Odorizzi held the Lumberjacks to just two hits in seven solid innings, and they couldn't retake the lead after Anthony Rizzo's go ahead home run in the eighth inning.

April 24th:
Rained out and rescheduled for 6/2

Around the League:
Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes is out 6 weeks with back spasms
Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton is out 3 months with a hamstring strain
Mets RP Jenrry Mejia is out 8 weeks with elbow inflammation
Rays SP Erasmo Ramirez shuts out the Red Sox, striking out 5
Devils CF Jake Skole is out 4-5 months with a broken kneecap

AL POW: Indians 3B Lonnie Chisenhall: 12-24, 3 HR, 7 RBI
NL POW: Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo: 11-16, 3 HR, 3 RBI

Transactions:
SP Brandon Beachy has been called up to Indianapolis. He had a 0.38 ERA through 4 starts in AAA. SP Brandon Maurer has been optioned to AAA.

Up next:
3 games @ St. Louis

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April 25th:
Lumberjacks (9-9) 8 @ Cardinals (8-12) 4
WP: Jake Arrieta (2-0, 3.33)
LP: Kevin Siegrist (0-1, 4.09)
HR: IND: Chris Davis (6)

The Lumberjacks got back up to .500 with this win over the Cardinals, as they were led by Chris Davis. The first baseman hit his 6th home run of the year, which was one of his three hits, as he has been a big part of the lineup this year.

April 26th:
Lumberjacks (9-10) 0 @ Cardinals (9-12) 3
WP: Cory Luebke (1-2, 7.31)
LP: Tyler Thornburg (1-3, 2.60)
SV: Tim Collins (1, 1.64)

Entering the game, Cory Luebke's ERA was well over 10, but that didn't stop him from shutting down the Lumberjacks. He shut them out over 8 innings while only allowing four hits before Tim Collins closed it out in the ninth.

April 27th:
Lumberjacks (9-11) 3 @ Cardinals (10-12) 6
WP: Michael Wacha (3-2, 3.16)
LP: Randall Delgado (1-1, 3.68)
SV: Trevor Rosenthal (5, 6.75)
HR: IND: A.J. Pollock (2)

This game showed that trading catcher Jake Lowery to the Cardinals may not have been a good idea. Lowery came through in the 8th with a bases clearing double, the decisive moment in St. Louis' victory.

April 28th:
Off day

Around the League:
Dodgers SP Zack Greinke is out 5 months with a torn rotator cuff
Mariners SP Taijuan Walker no hits the Athletics, striking out 7 and walking 1
Rangers SP Alexander Gonzalez shuts out the Astros, striking out 6
Rangers RF Nomar Mazara hits 3 home runs against the Astros
Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez hits home run #300
Rangers SP A.J. Schugel is out for the season with a torn rotator cuff
Diamondbacks SS Andrelton Simmons gets 5 hits against the Padres

Up Next:
3 games at home against Washington

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Stats Update: April 28th

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April 29th:
Nationals (12-12) 8 @ Lumberjacks (9-12) 3
WP: Jordan Zimmermann (2-2, 1.53)
LP: Doug Fister (0-2, 4.34)
HR: WAS: Ryan Zimmerman (4)

Doug Fister struggled against his old team, allowing 5 runs in just 3 innings. In the bullpen, Randall Delgado was also lit up, giving up 3 runs for the second consecutive game.

April 30th:
Nationals (12-13) 0 @ Lumberjacks (10-12) 5
WP: Erik Johnson (3-1, 2.83)
LP: A.J. Cole (1-2, 3.54)
HR: IND: Rafael Lopez (1)

Erik Johnson helped end the Lumberjacks' losing streak with a great pitching performance, striking out 6 and allowing no runs over 8.1 innings. It was also a special day for Rafael Lopez, as the 29 year old rookie hit his first home run in the majors.

May 1st:
Nationals (13-13) 5 @ Lumberjacks (10-13) 1
WP: Stephen Strasburg (3-0, 1.76)
LP: Jake Arrieta (2-1, 4.22)
HR: WAS: Matt Skole (3), Brian Goodwin (2), Bryce Harper (4) IND: Justin Smith (1)

Between their three home runs and Stephen Strasburg's complete game, it was an easy win for the Nationals. They get their record back to .500, while Indianapolis continues to fall in the standings.

Around the League:
Mets LF Carlos Gonzalez is out 3 weeks with a strained oblique
Dodgers CF Joc Pederson goes 5-5 against the Brewers
Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera is out 6-7 weeks with a torn meniscus
Rangers RP Alex Claudio is out for the season with a torn rotator cuff
The Mariners trade LF Justin Ruggiano and cash to the Blue Jays for 1B Wilin Rosario
Astros RP Junichi Tazawa is out 4-5 months with shoulder inflammation
Cubs SP R.A. Dickey shuts out the Marlins, striking out 2
Phillies LF Matt Holliday hits home run #300
Dodgers RP Pedro Baez is out for the season with a torn labrum

AL POY: Angels RF Josh Hamilton: 14-25, 1 HR, 8 RBI
NL POY: Dodgers CF Joc Pederson: 14-25, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R

AL BOM: Twins CF Byron Buxton: .398, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 22 R
NL BOM: Dodgers CF Joc Pederson: .352, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 22 R

AL POM: Rangers SP Yu Darvish: 5-1, 1.62, 38 K
NL POM: Marlins SP Jesse Hahn: 3-0, 1.24 ERA, 27 K

AL ROM: Mariners 3B D.J. Peterson: .322, 5 HR, 23 RBI
NL ROM: Rockies RF Tim Wheeler: .326, 4 HR, 13 RBI

Up next: 3 games at home against the Mets

[baseballfanmas]

Good stuff so far, I was hoping you'd take over OKC, but Indy works too. I like your series by series format. Keep up the good work.