Fantasy Baseball Stats and MLB Recaps for 4/25
It's time again for Fantasy Stats and Recaps, bringing you all of the heavy hitters from yesterday's highlight reel.
And here we go...
Tigers 3, White Sox 0
1 of 15
W: Max Schrezer(4-0)
L: John Danks(0-3)
S: Jose Valvere(5)
White Sox Standouts
Juan Pierre, 2-for-4
A.J. Pierzynski, 2-for-4
Tigers Standouts
Max Schrezer, 8 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K
Austin Jackson, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
Brandon Boesch, 2-for-4
Brandon Inge, 1-for-3, 2B, R, RBI
Alex Avila, 1-for-4, R, RBI
Recap
Max Schrezer pitched eight innings of shutout ball to help the Tigers sweep the three-game set with the White Sox. After John Danks loaded the bases in the fourth, Avila grounded out to score the first run of the game. In the sixth, Brandon Inge and Austin Jackson hit consecutive doubles to tally two more on the board and put the game out of reach. Those were the only runs Danks allowed during his six innings, but Schrezer shut down the Chicago offense, allowing only four hits, none of them for extra bases.
Commentary
Schrezer was sharp. The White Sox started the season strong but have lost 10 of their last 11 to drop to the cellar of the American League Central. One of the main reasons is their major offseason acquisition Adam Dunn is only hitting .145 and has only three hits in the last 10 games. Dunn won't stay this sluggish forever, but for now, it's not doing the Sox any favors.
Rays 2, Blue Jays 0
2 of 15
W: James Shields(2-1)
L: Ricky Romero(1-3)
Rays Standouts
Ben Zobrist, 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, SB
James Shields, 9 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Johnny Damon, 2-for-4, R
Blue Jays Standouts
Ricky Romero, 7 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 10 K
Recap
Johnny Damon extended his hitting streak to 13 games in the first inning, and the next batter, Ben Zobrist, launched one over the left field wall to give the Rays a two-run lead. That was all Shields needed, going the distance and only allowing six baserunners in the complete game shutout. Romero went a strong seven innings, and while Zobrist's home run was the only real offense allowed, it turned out to be all Tampa Bay needed.
Commentary
If you were looking for offense, this game was not for you. After the top of the first, goose eggs were posted by both teams for the next 17 half-frames. Sam Fuld struck out four times—that wasn't pretty. This was Shields' second consecutive complete game, and the shutout lowered his season ERA to 2.35.
Mets 8, Diamondbacks 4
3 of 15
W: Jonathon Niese(1-3)
L: Armando Galarraga(3-1)
Diamondbacks Standouts
Stephen Drew, 3-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Justin Upton, 1-for-3, 2B, 2 R, BB,
Mets Standouts
David Wright, 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB
Ike Davis, 2-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB
Carlos Beltran, 2-for-4, 2B 2 R
Jason Pridie, 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Recap
The offense came early and often for the Mets in the finale of their set with the D-Backs. David Wright hit a two-run blast in the first, added another solo shot in the fourth and Jason Pridie added a three-run blast in the third to made for a short day for Galarraga (only 3 IP). Jonathon Niese pitched strong through seven innings and allowed only two earned runs as New York walked away from the set with a sweep.
Commentary
David Wright had a great all-around day—two four-baggers, three runs knocked in, good defense, and even a stolen base (his fifth of the year, no less). Carlos Beltran had a good day, as well, and is proving he could once again be a valuable asset—as long as he stays healthy.
Marlins 6, Rockies 3
4 of 15
W: Mike Dunn(1-0)
L: Matt Belisle(2-1)
S: Leo Nunez(6)
Rockies Standouts
Dexter Fowler, 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R
Jonathan Herrera, 1-for-3, 2B RBI, BB
Troy Tulowitzki, 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
Marlins Standouts
Omar Infante, 2-for-4, 3B, R, 3 RBI
Mike Stanton, 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI
Josh Johnson, 7 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K
Recap
Ubaldo Jimenez vs. Josh Johnson lived up to the billing, as neither pitcher allowed a hit until the fifth inning. Johnson had the better overall outing, allowing only one run over seven innings. Jimenez pitched four no-hit innings but loaded the bases in the fifth after three walks, and then gave up a bases-clearing triple by Omar Infante—the only hit he allowed on the afternoon. The Rockies rallied to tie the game in the eighth after a sac fly by Carlos Gonzalez and a double by Tulo. However, in the bottom half of the frame, Mike Stanton clubbed a home run to left field to put the game out of reach.
Commentary
A no-hitter broken up by a three-run triple—how often do you hear that? Too bad Ubaldo didn't last a bit longer, but his pitch count was high (96) after five. The Marlins are almost keeping pace with the Phils in the NL East, winning eight of their last 10. There's no guarantee it will last, but the Marlins have a lot of talent on their roster—I wouldn't be surprised to see them hang around for a while.
Yankees 6, Orioles 3, F/11
5 of 15
W: Boone Logan(1-1)
L: Jason Berkan(0-1)
Yankees Standouts
Curtis Granderson, 3-for-5, HR, 2B, BB, 3 RBI, 2 R
Derek Jeter, 4-for-6, 2B, R, RBI
Freddy Garcia, 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Orioles Standouts
Mark Reynolds, HR, 2 RBI
Recap
The New York hit parade continued in Baltimore, as Curtis Granderson blasted a home run and a double in the extra innings victory over the O's. The Orioles rallied in the ninth to tie the game, but New York posted three in the 11th to put it away. Freddie Garcia was solid, but Joba Chamberlain hit a long-ball to Mark Reynolds and Mariano Rivera blew his second save in a row—a rare occurence—on a Brian Roberts double.
Commentary
The Orioles have yet to prove they can remain competitive in the AL East. Should be an interesting series with Boston over the next few days. This game had a couple of late plays at the plate that were fun to watch—Robert Andino in the ninth, Jeter thrown out in the 10th by Adam Jones.
Nationals 6, Pirates 3
6 of 15
W: Jason Marquis(2-0)
L: Kevin Correia(3-2)
S: Dan Storen(3)
Nationals Standouts
Adam LaRoche, 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Michael Morse, 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Danny Espinosa, 3-for-5, R
Pirates Standouts
Andrew McCutchen, 2-for-5, 2B, R
Neil Walker, 3-for-4, RBI
Pedro Alvarez, 2-for-4, 2B, R
Recap
Kevin Correia was rocked for 11 hits over 4.2 IP as the Nats hit well and often. Michael Morse knocked his first home run of the season to put the Nats up 4-1. The Pirates rallied in the fourth, decreasing the gap to 4-3 off of a sac fly by Chris Snyder and an RBI double by Ronny Cedeno. But Adam LaRoche tagged asolo blast in the fifth to put the game out of reach. Laynce Nix added a double in the eighth to score Alex Cora. Jason Marquis went six innings for Washington and allowed three earned runs off eight hits.
Commentary
With the Nats up by three and one out, Jose Tabata hit a fly ball to right with Andrew McCutchen on third. McCutchen tagged and Jayson Werth darted a throw straight to the catcher, and McCutchen was tagged out at home. The speedy Pirates outfielder argued the call, as did manager Clint Hurdle, but it looks as though the ump got the call right. Werth must not have been thrilled with his 0-for-5 performance on Sunday—that's the only explanation I can find for the vindictiveness of taking away from the few joys Pirates fans have (although it was kinda funny…Sorry, Pittsburgh).
Brewers 4, Astros 1
7 of 15
W: Randy Wolf(3-2)
L: Wandy Rodriguez(1-3)
S: Jon Axford(4)
Astros Standouts
J.R. Towles, 1-for-3, HR
Brewers Standouts
Rickie Weeks, 2-for-4, HR, BB, SB
Carlos Gomez, 3-for-5, R, SB
Randy Wolf, 8 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K
Brandon Boggs, 1-for-4, HR
Prince Fielder, 1-for-4, 3B, R, RBI
Recap
Wandy Rodriguez had another rough outing for the Astros, allowing 10 hits and walking three over seven innings(although he struck out nine and hit for two singles). On the other side, Randy Wolf allowed only four baserunners and was carrying a shutout into the eighth when Towles finally got to him. Rickie Weeks and Brandon Boggs hit four-baggers for the Brewers, and Prince Fielder added an RBI triple as the Brewers took two of three from Houston.
Commentary
Watching Prince Fielder hit a triple is just fantastic.
Twins 4, Indians 3
8 of 15
W: Carl Pavano(2-2)
L: Rafael Perez(2-1)
S: Matt Capps(4)
Indians Standouts
Orlando Cabrera, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
Michael Brantley, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Twins Standouts
Jason Kubel, 2-for-3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Justin Morneau, 2-for-3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI
Alexi Casilla, 2-for-3, R
Recap
Carlos Carrasco started the game for the Indians but only went three innings before leaving the game due to tightness in his elbow. Carl Pavano allowed three runs over seven innings in the win. Justin Morneau is quietly finding his game again, knocking a two-run double in the third. Orlando Cabrera singled in a run in the fourth, and Michael Brantley followed with a double to right field that looked like it should've been a home run, but after umpire review, was ruled a double. Jason Kubel added a two-run double of his own in the seventh to put the Twins ahead for good. Shin-Soo Choo had two outfield assists in the same inning, throwing out both Casilla and Morneau at home in the bottom of the third.
Commentary
First series win for the Twins this season. Hey, gotta start somewhere.
Dodgers 7, Cubs 3
9 of 15
W: Hiroki Kuroda(3-2)
L: Carlos Zambrano(2-1)
Dodgers Standouts
Aaron Miles, 3-for-5, 3B, R, RBI
Matt Kemp, 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Andre Ethier, 2-for-5, R, RBI
Jerry Sands, 1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI
Cubs Standouts
Darwin Barney 2-for-5, R, RBI
Fukodome, 2-for-5, 2B, R
Aramis Ramirez, 2-for-4, 2B
Recap
Carlos Zambrano allowed six runs over five innings, including five in the first. That was all Hiroki Kuroda needed, as he posted his fourth quality start of the year, allowing three runs over six-plus. The red-hot Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier (hitting streak now at 21 games) led the way and are hitting a combined .392 on the year.
Commentary
Games are difficult to win if you're giving up a five-spot in the top of the first. Carlos Zambrano has been very shaky this season, and it's getting harder to tell if this is going to be a pattern for the year or if it can be written off as a sluggish start.
Rangers 8, Royals 7
10 of 15
W: C.J. Wilson(3-0)
L: Bruce Chen(3-1)
S: Arthur Rhodes(1)
Royals Standouts
Mike Aviles, 3-for-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI, SB
Alcides Escobar, 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R
Jeff Francoeur, 1-for-3, HR, BB
Chris Getz, 2-for-4, R, RBI, SB
Rangers Standouts
Adrian Beltre, 2-for-2, HR, 2 BB, 2 R
Mike Napoli, 1-for-3, HR, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI
Julio Borbon, 2-for-3, R, 2 SB
Ian Kinsler, 2-for-5, SB
Andres Blanco, 1-for-4, HR
Recap
The Rangers continued to show their offensive strength, combining for 22 runs over their three-game sweep of the Royals. This one wasn't pretty for either starting pitcher, although worse for Bruce Chen, who allowed three home runs in just over four innings. The teams traded home runs over the first four-and-a-half innings until Texas opened the floodgates in the bottom of the fifth, posting six runs off three hits and four walks, including a three-run double by David Murphy. C.J. Wilson lasted seven and allowed four in the victory.
Commentary
The Rangers nearly blew this one, but a win is a win is a win, etc. What's truly frightening about Texas this year is they're still scoring lots of runs despite missing their MVP, Josh Hamilton.
Red Sox 7, Angels 0
11 of 15
W: John Lackey(2-2)
L: Matt Palmer(1-1)
Red Sox Standouts
Jacoby Ellsbury, 2-for-5, 2B, R
Adrian Gonzalez, 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Carl Crawford, 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
John Lackey, 8 IP, 0 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 SO
Marco Scuaro, 2-for-3, BB, 2 R
Angels Standouts
Peter Bourjos, 2-for-3
Recap
The Sox tagged Matt Palmer for four runs over five innings, including three in the first off three hits and a walk. John Lackey took it from there, shutting down his former team and posting eight shutout innings as the Red Sox closed out a four-game sweep of the Angels. Carl Crawford added his first home run of the season, continuing his way out of a dreadful start.
Commentary
Crawford raised his average to a distinguished .171. I really can't help but think losing his leadoff spot to J.D. Drew last week lit a fire under him to get himself together…I mean, seriously…J.D. Drew. Overall, the Red Sox made this series look easy and reminded people why so many have them pegged to represent the American League in the World Series at the end of the year.
Phillies 3, Padres 1
12 of 15
W: Roy Halladay(3-1)
L: Wade LeBlanc(0-1)
S: Antonio Bastardo(1)
Phillies Standouts
Roy Halladay, 8.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 14 K
Ryan Howard, 2-for-4, R
Ben Francisco, 2-for-3, BB, RBI
Shane Victorino, 1-for-5, HR
Padres Standouts
Will Venable, 1-for-4, RBI
Recap
Halladay pitched 8.2 innings of shutout ball until Venable singled in Jason Bartlett for the Padres only run. Halladay struck out 14, and at one point, retired 16 consecutive Padres. The Phils scored two runs on four consecutive hits in the sixth, and Shane Victorino added an inside-the-park home run in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
Commentary
Pfft. Joe Blanton could've finished the game. The 14 K's was just showing off. You have to love any game that features an inside-the-park home run.
Braves 9, Giants 6, F/10
13 of 15
W: Eric O'Flaherty(1-1)
L: Brian Wilson(0-1)
S: Jonny Venters(1)
Braves Standouts
Jason Heyward, 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Chipper Jones, 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 RBI
Dan Uggla, 1-for-3, HR, 2 BB, 2 R
Nate McLouth, 1-for-5, 2 RBI
Giants Standouts
Aubrey Huff, 2-for-5, 2B, R
Buster Posey, 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Aaron Rowand, 1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Pat Burrell, 2-for-3, R
Pablo Sandoval, 2-for-4, R
Recap
Wild game in Frisco, as the Braves and Giants traded runs until the Braves finally put it away in the extra frame. Both Brandon Beachy and Jonathan Sanchez had no decisions, as neither pitcher made it past the sixth, but both allowed only two runs apiece. In the seventh, the screws fell out for both teams—the Braves scored three, and the Giants fought back with four of their own. The Braves tied the game in the eighth off of a Dan Uggla home run, and Nate McLouth singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th. Jonny Venters closed out the game for his first save of the season.
Commentary
Rare loss for Brian Wilson's beard.
Athletics 5, Mariners 2
14 of 15
W: Brett Anderson(2-1)
L: Aaron Laffey(0-1)
S: Brian Fuentes(6)
Athletics Standouts
Coco Crisp, 3-for-5, 3B, 3 R, SB
Josh Willingham, 2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI
Brett Anderson, 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Mariners Standouts
Ichiro Suzuki, 2-for-5, R, SB
Recap
Doug Fister posted a decent outing for the Mariners, going six innings and only allowing one run. But the bullpen couldn't hold the game together for the M's, allowing a two-run double to Josh Willingham in the seventh, and two more runs in the ninth. Brett Anderson continued his impressive start to the season, with his fifth consecutive start with no more than 2 ER allowed.
Commentary
Brett Anderson has 1.56 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and a .240 BAA. The fact that he's only 2-1 is testament to how anemic the A's offense is. Seattle's is worse, however, with Ichiro being the only real bright spot. Ichiro, by the way, has gone 7-for-13 in the past three games to raise his average back above .300.
Cardinals 3, Reds 0
15 of 15
W: Jake Westbrook(2-2)
L: Edinson Volquez(2-1)
S: Mitchell Boggs(3)
Reds Standouts
Brandon Phillips, 2-for-4, 2 2B
Joey Votto, 1-for-2, 2 BB
Cardinals Standouts
Yadier Molina, 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Matt Holliday, 1-for-4, 2B
Lance Berkman, 2-for-3, 2B
Recap
Jake Westbrook posted six shutout innings, and the bullpen followed his example as St. Louis took the finale of the three-game set against Cincinnati. Edinson Volquez struck out seven but allowed a three-run shot to Yadier Molina in the sixth—the game's only runs.
Commentary
It's hard not to laugh when Albert Pujols steals a base. I'm just saying, he needs it… Why?
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