Fantasy Baseball Stats and MLB Recaps: May 7, 2011 Edition
Yesterday was a bit of a wild day around the league, with a few extra inning games and four games that ended on the last at-bat.
Friday also featured all kinds of great pitching performances, including a certain pitcher pictured above throwing an absolutely ridiculous amount of strikeouts.
Road team standouts are listed first, followed by home teams.
Reds 5, Cubs 4
1 of 15
W: Edinson Volquez (3-1)
L: Matt Garza (1-4)
S: Francisco Cordero (5)
Cubs Standouts
Darwin Barney, 1-for-5, R, SB
Reds Standouts
Joey Votto, 1-for-3, BB, RBI, R
Jay Bruce, 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Edgar Renteria, 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R
Recap
Cincinnati travelled to Chicago and took the first of their three-game set against the Cubs. Jay Bruce knocked a three-run blast in the fourth inning, and the Reds scored two more in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
Edinson Volquez pitched five innings, allowing four runs. Matt Garza started the day for the Cubs and was tagged for all five of Cincy's runs in six innings pitched.
Commentary
Edinson Volquez hasn't had an outing this year that's really impressed me yet. He has a decent BAA(.245), but he only has one quality start and a high ERA and WHIP(5.63 and 1.62, respectively).
On top of that, he's currently the National League leader in walks with 28—an average of four per start. This is made even more frightening by the fact that none of his outings have been more than six innings.
Volquez was 17-6 in 2008, before he had the Tommy John surgery. His bad start leaves you wondering if his best stuff is in the rear view mirror.
Rays 6, Orioles 2
2 of 15
W: James Shields (3-1)
L: Zach Britton (5-2)
Rays Standouts
Brandon Guyer, 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
Johnny Damon, 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
Evan Longoria, 2-for-4, BB, 2B, 2 R
B.J. Upton, 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R
Ben Zobrist, 1-for-3, 2 BB, R
Orioles Standouts
Derrek Lee, 1-for-3, BB, HR
Vladimir Guerrero, 2-for-4, 2 2B, R
Luke Scott, 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
Recap
James Shields gave up just one run on three hits in seven and one-third innings, leading the Rays to a victory over the Orioles. Brandon Guyer made his major league debut for the Rays and nailed a two-run homer in his first major league at-bat.
Zach Britton started for the Orioles, going five and one-third and giving up three runs on four hits.
Commentary
Just to give you an idea on who this Guyer character is, last season he hit .344 in Double-A, beliting 13 HR, 39 doubles and 58 RBI in 102 games. This season, he was promoted to AAA and has already nailed six long-balls through 28 games with a ridiculous .356 average.
There's no guarantee he's going to stick around forever, as he was called up to fill Jeff Niemann's spot on the rotation, but it's hard not to take a home run in his first at-bat as a good omen.
Braves 5, Phillies 0
3 of 15
W: Derek Lowe (3-3)
L: Cliff Lee (2-3)
Braves Standouts
Alex Gonzalez, 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, R
Brian McCann, 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, R
Martin Prado, 2-for-5, RBI, R
Chipper Jones, 2-for-5, RBI, R
Phillies Standouts
Cliff Lee: 7 IP, 3 R, 9 H, 1 BB, 16 K
Recap
The Braves defeated the Phillies despite Cliff Lee's 16 strikeouts. Derek Lowe started for the Braves, pitching six shutout innings. Lee went seven innings and allowed three runs.
Commentary
How do you strike out 16 people and lose? What's even more ridiculous is that Lee already has more 10-plus strikeout outings this season than he did in his entire career before 2010.
In 2010, he struck out 10-plus only five times. This is already his fourth such outing this season. To the shock of no one, he currently leads the National League with 60 K's.
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Astros 3, Pirates 2
4 of 15
W: Wandy Rodriguez (2-3)
L: Chris Resop (1-1)
S: Mark Melancom (1)
Astros Standouts
Jason Bourgeois, 3-for-5, R, SB
Hunter Pence, 2-for-4, SF, 2 RBI, R
Michael Bourn, 1-for-4, BB, R, 2 SB
Carlos Lee, 2-for-4, RBI
Pirates Standouts
Neil Walker, 1-for-4, HR
Brandon Wood, 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
Recap
A strong start by Paul Maholm was foiled by the Astros, who rallied for two runs in the eighth to take down the Pirates. Maholm allowed only one run, leaving the game with the lead after seven fine innings.
Wandy Rodriguez went seven innings as well, giving up two. Carlos Lee returned to the lineup after a collision on Sunday with teammate Angel Sanchez and singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth.
Commentary
Michael Bourn stole his 12th and 13th bases of the season and is now sitting atop the league lead in the category. Tied for second is Michael Bourn.
With Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee hitting immediately after the thieves in the lineup, don't be surprised if the Astros' run output stays high this season.
Blue Jays 7, Tigers 4
5 of 15
W: Jesse Litsch (3-2)
L: Phil Coke (1-5)
S: Frank Francisco (2)
Tigers Standouts
Scott Sizemore, 1-for-4, BB, RBI
Jhonny Peralta, 2-for-4, RBI, R
Brandon Inge, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Victor Martinez, 1-for-3, BB, R
Blue Jays Standouts
Adam Lind, 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
J.P. Arencibia, 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Corey Patterson, 3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Juan Rivera, 3-for-4, RBI, R
Recap
The Blue Jays offense ruled the day against the Tigers Friday, as every Blue Jays batter had at least one hit.
Phil Coke was the main recipient of the bludgeoning, giving up 11 hits and four runs through six innings. Jesse Litsch started for the Jays, going six and one-third, surrendering one run and striking out nine.
Commentary
Adam Lind has been on fire recently, going 21-for-44(.477 average), with six home runs and 15 RBI during the 11-game hitting streak he's currently riding.
Twins 9, Red Sox 2
6 of 15
W: Scott Baker (2-2)
L: Tim Wakefield (0-1)
Twins Standouts
Trevor Plouffe, 2-for-4, BB, HR, 3 R, SB
Danny Valencia, 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R
Michael Cuddyer, 2-for-4, BB, 2 R
Jason Kubel, 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2B
Red Sox Standouts
Adrian Gonzalez, 1-for-4, HR
J.D. Drew, 1-for-4, HR
Recap
Tim Wakefield was on the receiving end of a rare Twins' offensive spurt, as Minnesota clubbed the knuckleballer for eight runs in four and one-third innings in the win against the Red Sox.
Scott Baker started the day for 'Sota, going eight innings and giving up two runs while striking out eight. Both of the Red Sox runs came off of solo shots—one by Adrian gonzalez, the other by J.D. Drew.
Commentary
Jacoby Ellsbury currently has a 15-game hit streak of his own, during which time his average has raised from a dismal .182 to a respectable .277.
Mets 6, Dodgers 3
7 of 15
W: Ryota Igarashi (2-0)
L: Hiroki Kuroda (2-2)
S: Francisco Rodriguez (8)
Dodgers Standouts
Rod Barajas, 2-for-4, HR
Matt Kemp, 1-for-4, BB, RBI
Andre Ethier, 3-for-5
Mets Standouts
Jose Reyes, 3-for-4, BB, 2 3B, 2B, SB
Ike Davis, 1-for-3, BB, HR, 2 R
Jason Pridie, 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Carlos Beltran, 1-for-2, BB, 2B, RBI, R
Recap
Jose Reyes had two triples for the Mets, leading them to victory over the Dodgers. Jonathon Niese started the day for New York, allowing three runs over five and two-thirds. Hiroki Kuroda lasted the same 5.2, giving up five in the loss.
Commentary
Andre Ethier had a couple days off and didn't hesitate to extend his hitting streak to 30 games, singling in the bottom of the first. He would add two more singles in the game.
Nationals 3, Marlins 2, F/10
8 of 15
W: Drew Storen (2-1)
L: Mike Dunn (2-2)
S: Sean Burnett (4)
Nationals Standouts
Adam LaRoche, 1-for-4, BB, SF, RBI, R
Jerry Hairston Jr., 3-for-3, BB, 2 2B, RBI
Marlins Standouts
Gaby Sanchez, 1-for-3, BB, RBI
Recap
Adam LaRoche hit a sac fly in the 10th to plate Jayson Werth, putting the Nationals ahead for good in their extra-inning tango with the Marlins. The pitchers dominated most of the day, with both starters getting quality starts although neither was given a decision.
Jordan Zimmerman went six innings for the Nats, and Ricky Nolasco went seven innings for the Marlins. Both allowed two runs.
Commentary
Jayson Werth's average has been very consistent this season, and I don't mean that in a good way. The career .270 hitter's average hasn't been above .250 in almost a month, and he only has four home runs and eight RBI on the year.
Any time you're ready to get going Jayse, just let the Nats know—I'm sure they'll be happy to have you on board.
Yankees 4, Rangers 1
9 of 15
W: Ivan Nova (3-2)
L: Matt Harrison (3-4)
S: Mariano Rivera (12)
Yankees Standouts
Curtis Granderson, 2-for-4, BB, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Derek Jeter, 1-for-4, BB, R
Rangers Standouts
None
Recap
Ivan Nova turned in a stellar outing for the Yankees, going seven and one-third shutout innings as New York trumped Texas. Curtis Granderson provided the offense for the Yanks, knocking two four-baggers. Matt Harrison allowed three runs over six innings for the Rangers.
Commentary
Curtis Granderson has nine RBI in his last nine games, hitting safely in seven of them. After being labelled a bust last year for reasons passing understanding (the guy hit 24 home runs, how bad could he have been), Granderson has come back with a vengeance this season, proven by the 10 home runs he's already launched.
Athletics 3, Royals 2
10 of 15
W: Gio Gonzalez (4-2)
L: Sean O'Sullivan (1-2)
S: Brian Fuentes (8)
Athletics Standouts
Andy LaRoche, 1-for-3, RBI, R
Coco Crisp, 0-for-3, BB, RBI
Royals Standouts
Mike Aviles, 1-for-3, BB, RBI, SB
Alex Gordon, 1-for-4, HR
Recap
The Athletics staved off the Royals Friday to sneak away with a victory. Gio Gonzalez started for the A's, going seven and allowing two.
Representing the Kansas City dugout was Sean O'Sullivan, who pitched eight and gave up three. K.C. was ahead 2-0 early in this game, but Oakland rallied for three runs in the fifth off of four singles and a couple of fielder's choices.
Commentary
Sean O'Sullivan has rattled off four consecutive decent outings, lowering his ERA to 3.41 for the season. The three runs Friday were actually the most he's allowed in a start this year. His BAA is .226, his WHIP is 1.31, and he's given up just one home run thus far.
Granted, he has had the benefit of pitching all four starts at home, but this might be something to keep watch on.
Cardinals 6, Brewers 0
11 of 15
W: Jaime Garcia (4-0)
L: Randy Wolf (3-3)
Brewers Standouts
None
Cardinals Standouts
Jaime Garcia, 9 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 8 K
Colby Rasmus, 2-for-3, BB, 3B, RBI, R
Albert Pujols, 1-for-3, SF, 3 RBI
Yadier Molina, 2-for-4, HR
Matt Holliday, 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
Recap
The Cards rolled over the Brewers on the back of rising star Jaime Garcia. Garcia flirted with a perfect game, retiring the first 22 batters he faced before giving up a walk to Casey McGehee in the eighth.
The next batter, Yuniesky Betancourt, then singled to break up the no-hitter. Garcia ended with a two-hit, complete game shutout of struggling Milwaukee. Randy Wolf got the nod for the Brewers, pitched five innings and surrendered six runs in the loss.
Commentary
K/BB ratio: 4:1. WHIP: .97. ERA: 1.99. BAA: .205. Two complete games, both shutouts. Man, I know the Cards were looking for someone to pick up the slack since Adam Wainwright's out for the year, but this guy's almost overdoing it.
Angels 2, Indians 1, F/11
12 of 15
W: Fernando Rodney (1-1)
L: Justin Germano (0-1)
Indians Standouts
Carlos Santana, 2-for-5, 2B
Angels Standouts
Erick Aybar, 3-for-5, R, SB
Bobby Abreu, 3-for-5
Maicer Izturis, 2-for-5, 2B, RBI
Recap
Torii Hunter hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded in bottom of 11th as the Angels finished off the Indians in extras. The game featured some very quiet bats, as Tyler Chatwood and Justin Masterson dueled for most of the day.
Both pitchers allowed only one run. Masterson threw seven innings, and Chatwood threw eight.
Commentary
This was the first of four games that ended on the final at-bat.
Padres 4, Diamondbacks 3, F/11
13 of 15
W: Chad Qualis (1-2)
L: Sam Demel (1-2)
Diamondbacks Standouts
Juan Miranda, 2-for-3, 2B, R
Gerald Parra, 2-for-4, BB, 2B, RBI, R
Padres Standouts
Will Venable, 3-for-5, SF, 2 2B, RBI
Rob Johnson, 1-for-4, BB, R
Recap
Chase Headley botched a throw in the top of the ninth, allowing two runs to score and tie the game at three apiece. He atoned for his errant throw by drawing a walk with the bases loaded in the 11th to bring in the winning run.
Armando Galarraga started the day for the Diamondbacks, but lasted only four and one-third while allowing three runs. Tim Stauffer pitched well for San Diego, throwing six and two-thirds innings of shutout ball.
Commentary
Headley's error in the ninth cost Heath Bell his consecutive save streak, which stood at 41.
Mariners 3, White Sox 2
14 of 15
W: Felix Hernandez (4-2)
L: Matt Thornton (0-3)
White Sox Standouts
Carlos Quentin, 1-for-4, HR
Juan Pierre, 2-for-3, 2B R
Mariners Standouts
Justin Smoak, 1-for-3, BB, 2B
Chone Figgins, 1-for-2, BB, 2B, SB
Brendan Ryan, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
Recap
Brandan Ryan singled in Adam Kennedy in the bottom of the ninth to give the Mariners a walk-off win over the White Sox. Felix Hernandez went the entire nine innings, allowing just two runs off of five hits.
Philip Humber started for Chicago, pitching seven innings and allowing two runs as well. The victory gave Seattle their eighth win in 10 games.
Commentary
I hate to pick on the White Sox bullpen again, but I honestly don't think Matt Thornton threw anything other than fastballs in his relief work last night. Does he not have any other pitches, or am I just missing something?
Giants 4, Rockies 3
15 of 15
W: Brian Wilson(1-1)
L: Felipe Paulino(0-2)
Rockies Standouts
Troy Tulowitzki, 1-for-3, BB, HR
Chris Ianetta, 2-for-4, R
Giants Standouts
Mike Fontenot, 1-for-3, BB, 3B, R, SB
Buster Posey, 1-for-3, BB, RBI, R
Nick Schierholtz, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Recap
Cody Ross scored on a Freddy Sanchez single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Giants a walk-off, comeback victory over the Rockies. The Giants trailed 3-1 in the eighth when a Nick Schierholtz double plated two to knot it up.
Matt Cain started the day for Frisco, going seven innings and allowing three. Ubaldo Jiminez got the call for Colorado and pitched six innings, allowing one run on just two hits.
Commentary
The Rockies have now lost five of their last seven, but I'm guessing this one probably stung a bit more than the others given they had a three-run lead as late as the sixth. The salt on the wound is that it came against division rivals.
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