Fantasy Baseball Stats and MLB Recaps: May 4, 2011 Edition

Very strange day in baseball, yesterday—a couple extra inning games, a couple of pitchers with great hitting performances, Jayson Werth's return to Philadelphia, and many starting pitchers who were left without decisions either way.

Oh, and the season's first no-hitter.  Knew I was forgetting something.

Road team standouts are listed first, followed by home team standouts.

Rays 3. Blue Jays 2

J. Meric/Getty Images

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MAY 03: Outfielder B.J. Upton #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his two run walkoff home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field on May 3, 2011 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

W: Kyle Farnsworth(2-0)
L: Jon Rauch(1-2)

Blue Jays Standouts:
Adam Lind, 2-for-3, BB, RBI, R
Edwin Encarnacion, 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI

Rays Standouts:
B.J. Upton, 1-for-4, hr, 2 RBI
Kelly Shoppach, 1-for-1, BB, RBI

Recap:
The Rays were back to their walk-off ways, as B.J. Upton hit a two-run shot to end the game and defeat the Blue Jays.  Wade Davis started the day for Tampa, going six innings and surrendering two.  Jo-Jo Reyes started for Toronto, and allowed one over six.

Commentary:
Evan Longoria finally returned for the Rays, and had one hit in four at-bats.

Tigers 4, Yankees 2

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

DETROIT, MI - MAY 03: Brad Penny #31 of the Detroit Tigers throws a first inning pitch against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park on May 3, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

W: Brad Penny(2-3)
L: C.C. Sabathia(2-2)
S: Jose Valverde(6)

Yankees Standouts:
Mark Teixeira, 1-for-3, BB, HR
Russell Martin, 1-for-4, 2B, RBI

Tigers Standouts:
Austin Jackson, 2-for-5, 3B, 2B, RBI
Scott Sizemore, 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
Miguel Cabrera, 1-for-2, SF, BB, RBI
Magglio Ordonez, 2-for-4, RBI

Recap:
The Tigers finally stopped the bleeding, ending their seven-game losing streak.  The win came on the back of Brad Penny, who pitched six strong innings and allowed only one run(which was unearned).  Yankees ace C. C. Sabathia started and was knocked around a bit, giving up four runs in seven innings.

Commentary:
After getting shellacked by the Yanks in his first outing of the year, this one must've felt pretty good for Penny.  In his last three starts, his ERA has dropped over three full points.

Phillies 4, Nationals 1

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 27: Starting pitcher Cole Hamels #35 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the Major League Baseball game at Chase Field on April 27, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Phillies defeated the Diamondb

W: Cole Hamels(4-1)
L: Livan Hernandez(3-3)

Nationals Standouts:
Michael Morse, 2-for-3, HR

Phillies Standouts:
Cole Hamels-CG, 9 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K;  2-for-4, 3B, R
Jimmy Rollins, 2-for-4, BB, 3B, RBI, R
Raul Ibanez, 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
Ryan Howard, 2-for-4, BB, RBI, R

Recap:
Cole Hamels pitched a complete game and added a triple for the offense as the Phillies beat the Nationals in Jayson Werth's return to Philadelphia.  Livan Hernandez started for the Nats, going six and a third and allowing four runs.

Commentary
Jayson Werth returned to Philadelphia with a very strange reaction.  After heavy boos, the applause won out and Werth tipped his cap.  It was an odd thing to witness.

Red Sox 7, Angels 3

Rob Carr/Getty Images

BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 28: Starting pitcher Jon Lester #31 of the Boston Red Sox delivers to a Baltimore Orioles batter at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 28, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

W: Jon Lester(4-1)
L: Dan Haren(4-2)

Angels Standouts:
Mark Trumbo, 1-for-3, SF, HR, 2 RBI
Torii Hunter, 2-for-4, R
Vernon Wells, 1-for-3, BB, R

Red Sox Standouts:
Adrian Gonzalez, 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
David Ortiz, 2-for-4, HR
Mike Scutaro, 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Carl Crawford, 2-for-3, BB, R
Jon Lester, 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K

Recap:
A day after handing Jered Weaver his first loss of the season, the Red Sox set their sights on the Angels' other ace, Dan Haren.  The result was the same—a Boston victory over the Angels.  Jon Lester pitched well for the Sox, going seven innings, allowing just a run and striking out 11.  Haren also pitched seven innings, but was bumpy, surrendering four.

Commentary:
Weaver/Haren has been even more formidable than Halladay/Lee or any of the other great 1-2 punches out there and the BoSox disposed of them with relative ease.  Don't be surprised if the Red Sox start rolling from this point forward.

Brewers V. Braves: Postponed

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

ATLANTA - MAY 28: A member of the grounds crew pulls the tarp over the infield after a delay in play was called due to rain during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Turner Field on May 28, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo

This game was postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday May 5th at 4pm.

Astros 10, Reds 4

Bob Levey/Getty Images

HOUSTON - APRIL 30: Jason Bourgeois #11 of the Houston Astros doubles on a line drive to left field in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Minute Maid Park on April 30, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

W: J.A. Happ(2-4)
L: Mike Leake(3-1)

Astros Standouts:
Jason Bourgeois, 3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, SB
Brett Wallace, 2-for-5, HR, 2 R
Chris Johnson, 2-for-5, HR, 3B, 2 R
Clint Barmes, 2-for-4, BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Reds Standouts:
Drew Stubbs, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Edgar Renteria, 1-for-4, BB, RBI, R
Joey Votto, 2-for-4, 2B

Recap:
The Astros clubbed the reigning NL Central champs to drop the Reds below .500 for the first time this season.  Mike Leake had a poor outing, lasting less than four innings and allowing seven runs.  J.A. Happ went six and a third innings and gave up four runs in the win.

Commentary:
Houston may be in rebuilding mode this season, but Brett Wallace and Hunter Pence are coming into their own, with a combined 31 RBI and .330 batting average.

Giants 7, Mets 6, F/10

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 24: Nate Schierholtz #12 of the San Francisco Giants in action against the Atlanta Braves at AT&T Park on April 24, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

W: Javier Lopez(1-0)
L: Taylor Buchholz(1-1)
S: Brian Wilson(9)

Giants Standouts:
Nate Schierholtz, 2-for-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB
Emmanuel Burriss, 2-for-5, RBI, R, SB
Mike Fontenot, 1-for-4, BB, 2 RBI, SB
Aubrey Huff, 1-for-5, HR
Aaron Rowand, 1-for-5, RBI, R

Mets Standouts:
Carlos Beltran, 2-for-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI
Ike Davis, 1-for-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI
Jose Reyes, 3-for-3, 3 BB, 2B, R

Recap:
Aubrey Huff homered in the tenth inning to lead the Giants to a victory over the Mets.  Ryan Vogelsong started the day for San Francisco, but was knocked out after allowing five runs in four innings.  R. A. Dickey got the start for New York, and had just as rough a time, conceding six runs in as many innings.

Commentary:
It's hard to determine where both of these teams are—on one day, they get shutout by a sub-.500 team and the next they're plastering runs all over the place.  All that can really be said at this point is that those aren't exactly hallmarks of playoff contenders.

Twins 1, White Sox 0

W: Francisco Liriano(2-4)
L: Edwin Jackson(2-4)

Twins Standouts:
Francisco Liriano-9 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 6 BB, 2 K
Jason Kubel, 1-for-4, HR

White Sox Standouts:
Edwin Jackson, 8 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Recap:
Francisco Liriano pitched the first no-hitter of the 2011 season, blanking the White Sox behind solid defense and blatant good luck.  That, and a Jason Kubel solo home run—the game's only real offense.  Edwin Jackson—who threw a no-hitter of his own last year—was almost as impressive, going eight innings and allowing only Kubel's long-ball.

Commentary:
Liriano defied everything last night to toss his no-hitter.  He had a 9.13 ERA.  His K/9 was a career-low 6.85 coming into the game.  He had never thrown a complete game before, let alone a shutout, let alone a no-hitter.  Yet somehow, against division-rival Chicago—in Chicago, no less—Liriano pulled it off.  It wasn't the prettiest no-no you'll ever see, but it's still going down in the same column in baseball history as the previous 269.

Royals 6, Orioles 5, F/10

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 20: Jeff Francoeur #21 of the Kansas City Royals rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the game against the Cleveland Indians on April 20, 2011 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty

W: Tim Collins(2-1)
L: Jason Berken(0-2)

Orioles Standouts:
Luke Scott, 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
Adam Jones, 3-for-4, BB, RBI, R

Royals Standouts:
Wilson Betemit, 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, R
Jeff Francoeur, 2-for-4, SF, HR, 2 R
Melky Cabrera, 2-for-5, 2B, RBI

Recap:
Jeff Francoeur plated Alex Gordon on a sac fly in the 10th as the Royals took the first of their three-game set with the Orioles.  Jeff Francis began the day for Kansas City, giving up five over five and two-thirds.  Brad Bergesen got the nod for the Orioles, pitched five innings and allowed four.

Commentary:
Good news for O's fans: J.J. Hardy is likely to start a rehab assignment in the next few days, and could be back in the lineup as soon as next week.  Robert Andino has done a fine job of filling in in Hardy's absence(.381 OBP), but is only a .234 lifetime hitter.  Point is, his above-average numbers this year are likely a bit inflated—he's bound to come down to earth eventually and Baltimore should welcome J.J.'s return.

Cardinals 7, Marlins 5

Harry How/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 17: Daniel Descalso #33 of the St Louis Cardinals on the field during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 17, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

W: Fernando Salas(1-0)
L: Ryan Webb(0-3)
S: Eduardo Sanchez(2)

Marlins Standouts:
Gaby Sanchez, 4-for-5, RBI, R
John Buck, 1-for-3, BB, RBI

Cardinals Standouts:
Matt Holliday, 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Daniel Descalso, 2-for-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Colby Rasmus, 2-for-4, RBI, R
Allen Craig, 1-for-1, 2 BB, RBI, R

Recap:
Daniel Descalso knocked a three-run blast over the right field wall in the seventh to give the Cards a victory over the Marlins.  What was billed as a strong pitching match-up became an offensive slugfest as both Anibal Sanchez and Kyle McClellan lasted no more than five innings and each allowed four runs.

Commentary:
Matt Holliday went 2-for-5, dropping his average to .409.  Yes, you read that correctly.

Diamondbacks 4, Rockies 3

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 01: Justin Upton #10 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats against the Chicago Cubs during the Major League Baseball game at Chase Field on May 1, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Cubs 4-3. (Photo by Christian Peterse

W: David Hernandez(1-0)
L: Felipe Paulino(0-1)
S: J. J. Putz(7)

Rockies Standouts:
Carlos Gonzalez, 2-for-2, 2 BB, HR, SB
Jonathan Herrera, 2-for-4, 3B, RBI
Ryan Spilborghs, 0-for-2, SF, BB, RBI

Diamondbacks Standouts:
Henry Blanco, 2-for-3, HR, 2B
Xavier Nady, 1-for-4, 2 RBI
Justin Upton, 3-for-4, HR, 2B

Recap:
Justin Upton homered in the bottom of the 8th to break a 3-3 tie as the Diamondbacks defeated the Rockies.  Both Jorge De La Rosa and Joe Saunders started the game on the mound, and both went six innings and gave up three runs.  Upton finished a triple short of the cycle.

Commentary:
Upton has been huge for the Diamondbacks this season, hitting safely in 18 of the 28 games so far this year and scoring 21 runs.  In case you've been living in a cave somewhere and haven't heard, Upton is a focal point of Arizona's future.  And at 23 years of age, he's still getting better.

Indians 4, Athletics 1

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 03: Fausto Carmona #55 of the Cleveland Indians pitches against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on May 3, 2011 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

W: Fausto Carmona(3-3)
L: Brian Fuentes(1-3)
S: Chris Perez(8)

Indians Standouts:
Asdrubal Cabrera, 3-for-5, 2 RBI
Matt LaPorta, 2-for-4, RBI
Orlando Canrera, 1-for-1, R, RBI

Athletics Standouts:
Daric Barton, 1-for-4, R
Hideki Matsui, 2-for-4

Recap:
The Indians dropped three runs on A's closer Brian Fuentes to nab a victory over the Oakland. Fausto Carmona pitched eight innings and gave up only one run for the win.  Tyler Ross also surrendered only one run, but left the game after six and a third.

Commentary:
The Indians are turning into one of those teams that has a different player every game step up to help produce a victory.  That's bad news for the rest of the league and good news for Cleveland.

Padres 6, Pirates 5

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

PEORIA, AZ - MARCH 06: Starting pitcher Mat Latos #38 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Oakland Athletics during the spring training game at Peoria Stadium on March 6, 2011 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

W: Mike Adams(1-0)
L: Joe Beimel(0-1)
S: Heath Bell(8)

Pirates Standouts:
Andrew McCutchen, 1-for-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI, R
Matt Diaz, 1-for-1, 2B, RBI, R
Neil Walker, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Padres Standouts:
Rob Johnson, 1-for-3, BB, HR
Eric Patterson, 2-for-2, BB, HR
Ryan Ludwick, 1-for-3, BB, RBI, R
Mat Latos, 1-for-2, HR

Recap:
Rob Johnson broke a five-all tie in the eighth by hitting a four-bagger, thus providing the Padres with a win over the Pirates.  Jeff Karstens got the start for Pitt, but lasted only four innings while giving up three runs.  Mat Latos helped his own cause by hitting a home run in the third, and also pitched six innings, giving up only two runs.

Commentary:
Every time a pitcher hits a home run, a baby seal gets its wings…  Or something like that.

Mariners 4, Rangers 3

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 15: Starting pitcher Erik Bedard #42 of the Seattle Mariners in action during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on April 15, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

W: David Pauley(1-0)
L: Pedro Strop(0-1)
S: Brandon League(8)

Rangers Standouts:
Ian Kinsler, 1-for-2, BB, 2B, 2 R, SB
Julio Borbon 1-for-3, R, SB

Mariners Standouts:
Justin Smoak, 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Recap:
Down a run in the eighth, the Mariners rallied off consecutive RBI-singles by Justin Smoak and Jack Cust to upend the Rangers.  Alexi Ogando began the day for Texas and went six strong innings, allowing just a run.  Erik Bedard was impressive in his own right, going seven, and giving up two runs on a mere two hits.

Commentary:
Erik Bedard didn't last more than five innings in any of his first four starts.  In his last two, he's gone seven each outing and allowed a total of three runs and seven hits.  Hopefully for Seattle, this is Bedard returning to form.

Cubs 4, Dodgers 1

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 02: Geovany Soto #18 of the Chicago Cubs hits an RBI double in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 2, 2011 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

W: Kerry Wood(1-1)
L: Jonathan Broxton(1-2)
S: Chris Marmol(8)

Cubs Standouts:
Carlos Pena, 1-for-3, BB, HR, 2 R
Geovany Soto, 1-for-3, BB, 2 RBI, R

Dodgers Standouts:
Matt Kemp, 1-for-4, RBI, SB

Recap:
Geovany Soto hit a two-run double in the ninth to plate the go-ahead run and send the Dodgers to a loss against the Cubs.  Ryan Dempster and Chad Billingsley started the day in what figured to be a pitchers' duel, and neither disappointed, each going seven innings and allowing only one run. Carlos Pena—who has averaged 36 HR a year for the past four seasons—finally hit his first long-ball.

Commentary:
Shocker: Andre Ethier hit in his 29th consecutive game.  I'm reporting this everyday because my prediction is he makes it to 31.  What's everyone else got in the pool?