Thursday, July 31, 2014

Marte, Hill lift Diamondbacks past Pirates, 7-4

Final
Series: Game 1 of 4

Pirates 4

(57-51, 23-30 away)

Diamondbacks 7

(48-61, 22-33 home)



99°
Broken Clouds

9:40 PM ET, July 31, 2014
Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona 

123456789 R H E
PIT 020001100 4 8 1
ARI 00021301 - 7 10 0
W: O. Perez (2-1)
L: J. Locke (2-3)
S: A. Reed (27)
 
 
 
Associated Press
D-backs Top Pirates
Andy Marte homered for the first time since Sept. 8, 2010 as the Diamondbacks defeated the Pirates 7-4.

PHOENIX -- Andy Marte hit a two-run home run and Aaron Hill added a solo shot in the sixth inning to power the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday night.
Nick Ahmed hit the Diamondbacks' third home run, an eighth-inning solo shot that was the first of his major-league career.Marte, called up from Triple-A Reno earlier on in the day to help fill the roster spots vacated by the trades of Gerardo Parra and Martin Prado, took Jeff Locke (2-3) deep into the left-field seats to break a 3-3 tie. Hill followed one out later with his ninth home run of the season.Reliever Oliver Perez (2-1) earned the win by getting the last two outs in the sixth.The Pirates took the lead in the second inning when Russell Martin drove in two with a double off the left field wall, but Arizona starter Josh Collmenter was able to escape further damage.Collmenter played a part in allowing the Diamondbacks to tie the score after Locke (2-3) no-hit them for the first three innings of the game. With the bases loaded and two out, Collmenter hit a bouncer to third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who charged the ball, scooped it and pumped once before throwing to first base.The throw was low, but first baseman Ike Davis mishandled the catch for an error that allowed Mark Trumbo and Jordan Pacheco to score and tie the game at 2.Pacheco's two-out single in the fifth drove in Paul Goldschmidt to give Arizona a lead. But the Pirates drew even thanks to solo home run onto the pool deck in right field from Neil Walker. The shot tied Walker's season high of 16 set last season.The homer finished Collmenter and he slammed his cap on the dugout bench in disgust before heading down the tunnel toward the clubhouse. Collmenter lasted 5 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks.Andrew McCutchen drove in Gregory Polanco with a single in the seventh, but the Pirates couldn't rally against Arizona relievers Brad Ziegler and Addison Reed. Reed earned his 27th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.ON DECK:Diamondbacks: Left-hander Vidal Nuno (0-2) starts the second game of the four-game series Friday. Nuno will be making his fifth start of the season and has a 3.47 earned-run average. It will be his second career start against Pittsburgh.Pirates: Right-hander Edinson Volquez (8-7) makes his 21st start of the season. He is 3-0 in his last four road starts with a 2.05 ERA and has won four of his last five decisions.TRAINER'S ROOMDiamondbacks: Shortstop Chris Owings is getting close to swinging a bat and is taking ground balls. Manager Kirk Gibson said. Owings has been on the disabled list since June 29 with a left shoulder strain.Pirates: OF Starling Marte was eligible to come off the seven-day concussion disabled list on Wednesday but has not been activated.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
 
 
 
 

Game Information

StadiumChase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance20,145 (41.4% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time3:08
Weatherindoors
UmpiresHome Plate - Pat Hoberg, First Base - Lance Barrett, Second Base - Ron Kulpa, Third Base - Ed Hickox

Research Notes

Paul Goldschmidt has slugged .578 this season in at-bats to end on a pitch on the inner third of the plate or closer, 12th among 156 qualifiers. Since the start of last season, Jeff Locke has thrown the second-highest percentage of pitches in that zone among qualifiers (43.6 percent).
 

Tigers make big trade, White Sox win game 7-4

Final
Series: Game 3 of 3

White Sox 7

(53-56, 26-32 away)

Tigers 4

(58-47, 27-27 home)


71°
Clear
=
1:08 PM ET, July 31, 2014
Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan 

123456789 R H E
CHW 030100120 7 16 1
DET 022000000 4 9 1
W: R. Belisario (4-7)
L: J. Soria (1-4)
S: J. Petricka (6)
 
 
 
 
Associated Press
Abreu Extends Hit Streak
Jose Abreu extended his hit streak to 20 games in the White Sox's 7-4 win over the Tigers.

DETROIT -- With the trade deadline minutes away, Austin Jackson saw a replacement on the top step of the dugout and realized what was happening.
"I pretty much kind of knew what was going on," Jackson said. "Just kind of a sad moment right there knowing that last run off the field, it was pretty tough with all your teammates that you played with."
Jackson was traded by the Tigers on Thursday in a three-team deal that brought star left-hander David Price to Detroit. But the timing of the move allowed him one last ovation from the home fans. With one out in the seventh inning of a 7-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox, Jackson was pulled from the game and made the long jog from center field to the dugout.
Left-hander Drew Smyly was also involved in the deal. He started and pitched five innings, although he didn't have to be taken out abruptly like Jackson was.
The game quickly became a secondary concern in the Motor City when news of the trade began circulating, but Detroit lost for the fifth time in six games. Moises Sierra had four hits, and Jose Abreu and Adam Eaton added three apiece for the White Sox.
Joakim Soria (1-4) -- another pitcher Detroit recently traded for -- hit Paul Konerko with the bases loaded in the seventh to give the White Sox a 5-4 lead.
Abreu extended his hitting streak to 20 games.
Ronald Belisario (4-7) got the win in relief, and Jake Petricka pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Chicago's John Danks allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings. There had been speculation he might be dealt before the deadline.
"Truthfully it wasn't even a topic of conversation in here between anybody," Danks said. "There's nothing anybody can do about it. It's part of the game and yeah, I don't think that had any effect on any of us to be honest."
Instead it was Detroit's Thursday starter who ended up being traded. Smyly pitched five innings and allowed four runs and 11 hits.
Detroit's Torii Hunter and J.D. Martinez hit back-to-back homers in the third.
SORIA'S STRUGGLES: Soria came on in the seventh in a tie game and struck out Eaton, only to have the Chicago hitter reach base on a wild pitch. After a single by Alexei Ramirez and an intentional walk to Abreu, Soria got pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie on a popup before hitting Konerko.
"I wouldn't say that was a rough outing to be honest with you," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "I know he gave up the run and he gave up that hit, but I thought it was a pretty good outing."
AMAZING ABREU: Abreu doubled twice off Smyly and extended his hitting streak. The Chicago slugger has hit safely in 38 of his last 39 games.
Only two rookies have had longer hitting streaks for the White Sox: Guy Curtright had a 26-gamer in 1943, and Chico Carrasquel had a 24-gamer in 1950.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Outfielder Avisail Garcia (shoulder) and reliever Matt Lindstrom (ankle) are both starting rehab assignments Friday at Triple-A Charlotte.
Tigers: Outfielder Andy Dirks, who has missed the whole season so far because of back problems that required surgery, is set to begin a rehab stint Friday with Class A West Michigan.
ON DECK
White Sox: Chicago returns home to face Minnesota on Friday night. Ace left-hander Chris Sale (10-1) takes the mound for the White Sox against Logan Darnell (9-6) of the Twins.
Tigers: Detroit takes on Colorado in an interleague matchup. Justin Verlander (9-9) starts for the Tigers against Franklin Morales (5-5).
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
 
 
 
 

Game Information

StadiumComerica Park, Detroit, MI
Attendance41,306 (100.1% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time4:01
Weather77 degrees, cloudy
Wind6 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Tim Welke, First Base - Todd Tichenor, Second Base - Clint Fagan, Third Base - Tim Timmons

Research Notes

José Abreu is the third player in White Sox history with a 20-game hitting streak and at least 30 home runs in the same season (ELIAS). According to Elias, Abreu joins Nomar Garciaparra in 1997 as the only players in Major League history with a 20-game hitting streak and 30 home runs in their rookie season.
  [+]
David Price has improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio in each of his 6 seasons with the Rays (not counting his cup of coffee in 2008). His 2.6 increase in K/BB this season from last season is the 3rd highest among the 28 pitchers who were qualified in both 2013 and 2014.
  [+]
John Danks has thrown 30.6 percent changeups this season, tied with Chris Sale for the highest percentage in the majors. The Detroit Tigers have hit .280 in at-bats ending in an off-speed pitch from a lefty, the best rate in baseball.
Though Price has yet to suit-up, this Tigers rotation is already evoking comparisons to the legendary Braves trio of the '90s. They're the only two teams to feature three Cy Young winners who all claimed their awards consecutively. The Detroit trio won each of the last three AL Cy Youngs while Tom Glavine won in 1991, Greg Maddux won four straight from 1992-through-95, and John Smoltz won in 1996.
  [+]
Price had the 3rd-largest increase in his K/BB from last season among pitchers among pitchers who were qualified in both seasons.
  [+]
 

Marlins fall to Reds after 'absolute joke' of overturned replay call

Final
Series: Game 1 of 4

Reds 3

(54-54, 25-29 away)

Marlins 1

(53-55, 30-26 home)


79°
Broken Clouds

7:10 PM ET, July 31, 2014
Marlins Park, Miami, Florida 

123456789 R H E
CIN 000000030 3 7 0
MIA 100000000 1 5 2
W: J. Cueto (12-6)
L: T. Koehler (7-8)
S: A. Chapman (24)
 
 
 
 
Associated Press
Reds Rally Late
The Reds came back to beat the Marlins 3-1, scoring all three runs in the top of the eighth inning.

MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins were heated after Thursday night's game when a call from Major League Baseball's new instant replay system and the rule preventing catchers from blocking the plate did not go their way.
The Cincinnati Reds thought MLB got it just right.
A long delay in the eighth inning resulted in what the Marlins thought was the third out turning into the tying run.
Zack Cozart was initially ruled out by home plate umpire Mike Winters on the play at the plate. The review extended the inning and Ryan Ludwick delivered a two-run single to help give the Reds a 3-1 victory.
"The fact of that matter is that everyone around baseball should be embarrassed by a call like that," Marlins president David Samson said during an expletive-laced postgame tirade.
With the Marlins leading 1-0 in the top of the eighth, the Reds loaded the bases with one out. Bryan Morris got Todd Frazier to fly out to right fielder Giancarlo Stanton whose throw to the plate easily beat Cozart for what appeared to be the final out of the inning when catcher Jeff Mathis tagged out Cozart, who trotted in without a slide.
However, after a 6-minute, 10-second instant replay review, the call was overturned because Mathis was ruled to be blocking the plate and Cozart was called safe, tying the game 1-1.
Marlins manager Mike Redmond was immediately ejected after throwing his hat to the ground and arguing with the umpires. Redmond kicked his hat on his way back to the dugout for good measure.
"As a former catcher in this league for 13 seasons, as a grinder, as a guy who loves this game and respects this game so much, this game has been a part of my life forever, but to lose a ballgame tonight on that play is a joke, it's an absolute joke," Redmond said. "I don't think anybody who plays this game should feel good about winning that game and I would say that if it had been reversed. That guy was out by 15 feet."
Cozart saw it differently.
"I thought it was pretty obvious from the replay that they made the right call," he said.
Reds manager Bryan Price agreed.
"Cozart was out by a fairly reasonable margin, but the catcher, from the inception of that ball going off the bat, had taken away the entire plate with his feet," Price said. "His body was in the middle of the plate."
During the delay, Mathis, a 10-year veteran, was confident that he did everything right in accordance of the rules.
"I'm just disgusted," Mathis said. "That's a tough way to lose a game. ... For it to be decided like that, it's just disgusting."
MLB issued a statement about the play after the game:
"We have begun to examine the Crew Chief Review in tonight's Reds-Marlins game, which resulted in a violation of Rule 7.13, the call being overturned and a run scoring on the play," the statement said. "We plan to discuss this situation further with the appropriate parties tomorrow, and we will communicate with the clubs after our discussion about this play."
Reds starter Johnny Cueto (12-6) struck out nine and allowed one run in seven innings and Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
Stanton hit his 25th home run and Tom Koehler (7-8) took the loss allowing two unearned runs in seven innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Chapman had to be tended to by trainers with two outs in the ninth when he had some discomfort in his right leg. He remained in the game and threw a 101 mph pitch to strike out Marcell Ozuna to end the game.
"I had a little discomfort in the leg," Chapman said. "It was an awkward step I took when I made the pitch."
Reds reliever Manny Parra (stiff back) has not pitched since July 20. "He is improving," Price said. "He played catch today. It's as day-to-day as it comes. It always seems like it's a day away from him actually being a piece of what we're doing."
ON DECK
The Reds' Mat Latos (2-3, 3.31) will start Friday's game against the Marlins' Jacob Turner (4-6, 5.69). Latos is 0-3 with a 5.26 ERA in seven starts against the Marlins. Turner will be making his first start at Marlins Park since May 31 against Atlanta.
TO TRADE OR NOT TO TRADE
The Marlins completed a six-player trade with the Houston Astros to acquire 24-year-old right-handed starter Jarred Cosart, who will be in Miami on Friday. There has not been a decision when Cosart will join the rotation.
The Reds did not make any deals at the non-waiver deadline.
"We were involved in a lot of different negotiations, but in the end we were looking mainly for offense and there really wasn't the offensive pieces out there," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "In fact, none of the guys that we had talked about were moved. I think the asking prices were beyond what we felt comfortable with."
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
 
 
 
 

Game Information

StadiumMarlins Park, Miami, FL
Attendance18,056 (48.2% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:43
Weatherindoors
UmpiresHome Plate - Mike Winters, First Base - Andy Fletcher, Second Base - Tom Woodring, Third Base - Mark Wegner

Research Notes

Through June 30, Giancarlo Stanton hit .393 in at-bats ending in a fastball, the best rate in MLB. In July, Stanton has hit just .206 in such at-bats. Johnny Cueto has the lowest batting average against in the major leagues this season in at-bats ending with his fastball (.186).
 

Albert Pujols' RBI single in 13th lifts Angels over Orioles

Final in 13
Series: Game 3 of 3

Angels 1

(64-43, 26-24 away)

Orioles 0

(60-47, 28-24 home)

7:05 PM ET, July 31, 2014
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland 

345678910111213 R H E
LAA 00000000001 1 12 0
BAL 00000000000 0 5 0
W: H. Santiago (3-7)
L: R. Webb (3-2)
S: H. Street (4)
 
 
 
 
Associated Press
BALTIMORE -- Albert Pujols hit an RBI single in the 13th inning, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 Thursday night to avert a three-game series sweep.
Tyler Skaggs and six relievers combined on a five-hitter, and David Freese matched a career high with four hits to help Los Angeles improve to 3-10 in one-run games on the road.
Skaggs had a no-hitter with two outs in the fifth inning before leaving with left forearm tightness. He was replaced by Mike Morin, who immediately gave up a bloop single to Caleb Joseph.
The Orioles didn't get another hit until Joseph singled leading off the eighth.
In the 13th, Kole Calhoun drew a leadoff walk from Ryan Webb (3-2) and Mike Trout singled before Pujols lined a single past the drawn-in infield.
Hector Santiago (3-7) pitched two shutout innings and Huston Street got three outs for his fourth save since joining the Angels on July 18.
Each of Baltimore's last six games has been decided by one run, four of them in extra innings. The Orioles fell to 12-4 in extra innings.
Baltimore starter Bud Norris scattered eight hits over seven innings, striking out four and walking one. The right-hander is 5-0 with a 0.43 ERA in six career starts against Los Angeles.
The Angels loaded the bases in the third before Pujols grounded into a double play for the second time in two at-bats. He made up for it later.
Despite the loss, the AL East-leading Orioles won the season series 4-2. All six games were decided by two runs or fewer.
Skaggs walked the first batter he faced, and then retired 14 straight before walking Steve Pearce in the fifth. The lefty threw one more pitch before leaving.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: Left-hander C.J. Wilson, who has been sidelined since July 10 with a sprained right ankle, is expected to return Saturday to start at Tampa Bay.
Orioles: First baseman Chris Davis (stomach virus) missed a third straight start but entered as the designated hitter in the ninth. He struck out and walked. Left-hander T.J. McFarland returned from bereavement leave and righty Preston Guilmet was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
ON DECK
Angels: Matt Shoemaker, who went 3-1 in July, seeks to extend that run into a new month Friday night in the opener of a three-game series in Tampa Bay.
Orioles: Wei-Yin Chen (11-3) faces the Mariners, who send Roenis Elias (8-8) to the mound Friday night to start a three-game series. Baltimore took three of four from Seattle last week.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
 
 
 

Game Information

StadiumOriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
Attendance24,974 (54.3% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time4:33
Weather83 degrees, cloudy
Wind5 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Mark Ripperger, First Base - Dan Bellino, Second Base - Gary Cederstrom, Third Base - Kerwin Danley

Research Notes

Albert Pujols (LAA): 2nd game this season with go-ahead RBI in extra innings; had not had 2 such games in a single season since 2011 (has never had 3)
 

Updated MLB Scoreboard for the games of July 31,2014 from ESPN.GO.COM

As of 1:30AM,EDT/10:30PM,PDT



Games in AL Stadiums

Games in NL Stadiums

Final
  • R
  • H
  • E
(58-51, 27-27 away)
  • 1
  • 9
  • 0
(62-47, 28-24 home)
  • 2
  • 5
  • 0
 123456789 RHE
ATL000000001 
LAD10100000X 
W: Kershaw (13-2)   L: Teheran (10-7)